A GANG of robbers smashed their way into a jeweller’s shop with a Mitsubishi Shogun to steal £5,000 worth of gold stock, Bradford Crown Court heard today. 

A small child had just moved away from the window when the vehicle came crashing into the premises on Leeds Road in Bradford, prosecutor Brian Russell said. 

The three masked and gloved robbers grabbed trays of jewellery and when the shopkeeper tried to get one of them back, he was forcibly punched. 

Mr Khan said: “They parked the Shogun outside at about 9.30am then left in the Mercedes (the eventual getaway car).

John Doyle, 36, who is serving a five-year jail sentence for threats to kill and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, pleaded guilty to the robbery. 

He was labelled a dangerous offender and jailed for four-and-a-half years with a two-year extended licence period. 

Mr Russell said the offence took place at 11.50am on May 14, 2019. 

The victim, who ran the shop for his daughter, was getting out trays of jewellery when the Shogun arrived. 

The child was inside the shop and standing at the window seconds before the vehicle reversed through it doing £4,500 worth of damage. 

The three men in dark clothing ran into the shop, jumped over the counter, seized trays of jewellery and put them into a sheet. 

The victim was grabbed by the collar and thrown across the counter and when he tried to retrieve a tray, he was forcibly punched by Doyle. 

Doyle lost a glove in the altercation and was detected by DNA evidence on it. 

The robbers left in a black Mercedes, abandoning the Shogun at the scene. 

In his victim personal statement, the shopkeeper said he feared the child would be hurt. 

The insurance company paid out promptly and the business had continued to operate but it was now run differently.  

 ‘He has managed to crack on and shown a degree of fortitude,’ Mr Russell commented. 

Doyle, who had a prison address on the court record, had since been sentenced for drugs offences as well as the firearms matter. 

He had 31 previous convictions for 84 offences, including conspiracy to burgle when he was jailed for more than six years. 

Khadim Al’Hassan said in mitigation that he had an increased motivation to change and was positively moving away from an offending lifestyle. 

He had passed exams while serving his sentence and undertaken training to become a trusted prisoner.  

Recorder Tony Watkin said it was a shocking and violent robbery when the shopkeeper was going about his usual business and the child was in the shop with him. The youngster moved away from the window just seconds before the vehicle smashed into it. 

It was a carefully planned and organised robbery but although force was used, there were no weapons. 

The recorder ruled that Doyle was a dangerous offender at a high risk of causing serious harm to the public. 

He was given a six-and-a half year extended prison sentence, made up of a four-and-a-half year custodial term plus two years of extended licence. 

Doyle will serve two-thirds of the jail term behind bars before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.