Three people sentenced following armed robbery series in Cheshire

Two men and a woman who went on a three-day crime spree across Runcorn and Helsby have been sentenced.

Daniel Hayes, Samuel Oultran and Amy Jody Burns all appeared at Chester Crown Court today, Monday 21 February, where they were sentenced to total of 10 years in prison for their involvement in a series of armed robberies.

Hayes, 31, of Clifton Crescent, Frodsham, was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting three counts of robbery and three counts of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. 

Oultran, 24, of Cooper Street, Runcorn was jailed for four after he pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery. 

31-year-old Burns, of Fallowfield, Runcorn, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to one count of robbery.

Their crime spree began at 10.40am on Saturday 10 July when Hayes entered Runcorn Expressway Service Station armed with a knife and threatened to kill the cashier unless they handed over all the cash from the till.

The next day, shortly after 6pm on Sunday 11 July, the trio targeted the Spar Store on Palacefields, which was packed with young children who were buying items ahead of the Euro 2020 final. 

Their final offence took place at around 6pm on Monday 12 July when they carried out an armed robbery at the One Stop Shop store on Chester Road, Helsby.

On each occasion Hayes entered the stores armed with a knife and threatened to harm staff unless they handed over cash from the till. 

Outran acted as the getaway driver while Burns admitted to being a lookout during the robbery in Palacefields. 

Following their sentencing, Detective Constable Paul Cullen, who led the investigation, said: “These were terrifying ordeals for all those involved and I welcome the sentences that have been handed to Hayes, Oultran and Burns.

“The trio showed absolutely no regard for both the store workers and members of the public who were also present at the time of the robberies. These included innocent young children who were left petrified after witnessing such a shocking incident.

“Thankfully, as a result of a thorough investigation and the information received from the public, we we’re quickly able to identify Hayes, Oultran and Burns as the suspects in the case and the trio were quickly arrested and charged.

“As a result of the strength of the evidence we were able to gather against them all three were left with no option but to plead guilty and have now been held accountable for their actions. I hope that this sentencing send out a clear message to anyone looking to come to Cheshire and commit crime – you will be caught and you will be brought to justice.”