Jailed for armed gangBy Enfield IndependentA GANG of armed robbers who mounted two inside jobs hoping for a £40,000 pay-off were jailed for a total of 58 years at the Old Bailey. Leader Charles Joaque, 28, of Cherry Road, Enfield, described by the judge as the "controlling influence of events," recruited friends to carry out the attacks after receiving inside information. The masked men terrorised the manager of the Halfords Store in Chaseside, Southgate, before making off with around £1,500 in September 2000. Joaque and Michael McKenzie, 35, of Forest Gate, East London, entered the shop just after 9am while their inside man was on duty with manager Andrew Harvey. They inquired about spark plugs before hitting Mr Harvey over the head with a gun. They demanded he open the safe before tying his hands and feet with tape and ransacking the store for car stereos worth around £5,000. They then tied up their inside man before making off with another £1,500 in cash. Steven Slaytor, 21 of Rushy Hill, Enfield, who acted as the arranger for the raid, was later arrested with £181 in coins taken from the store. Three days later the gang targeted the BP petrol station in Bullsmoor Lane, Waltham Cross. Gang member Victor Humes, 34 of Dalrymple Close, Southgate, discovered from a shop worker that a BP boss was due to arrive in a red Nissan carrying £40,000. Joaque then recruited McKenzie, Philip Nelson, 23, of Osman Road, Edmonton, and Daniel Palmer, 20, of South Tottenham, to carry out the attack. Three of them were armed as they waited for the man to arrive carrying the cash. But their plan was foiled when two nearby Securicor workers became suspicious and phoned police. Officers found an imitation gun under the passenger seat. Joaque was also concealing a large knuckle duster between the cheeks of his bottom. Joaque, McKenzie, Slaytor and a 19-year-old, who cannot be named, were convicted of the Halfords robbery and possession of firearms. Joaque, Humes, McKenzie, Nelson, Palmer and the 19-year-old, were all found guilty of conspiracy to rob the petrol station. Joaques was jailed for 11 years for robbery, nine years for conspiracy to rob and four years on two counts of possession of firearms with intent. Slaytor was jailed for eight years for robbery and four years for possession of a firearm . Nelson was sentenced to seven years for conspiracy and four years for possession of a firearm. Hulmes was jailed for five-and-a-half years for conspiracy , Palmer, admitted conspiring to rob and was sentenced to four years. All sentences are concurrent. 15:24 Wednesday 31st July 2002
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