Men jailed for roles in Ballymena machete robbery

Keith Buchan (47), with an address at Spruce Park was given a seven year sentence – three in custody and a further four on licence – after admitting charges of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Matthew Mitchell (23), of Dunvale, was sentenced to two years in custody and a further two years on licence, after admitting a charge of robbery.

Antrim Crown Court was told that on April 20, 2010, two supervisors were locking up a JJB Sports store at Braidwater Retail Park shortly after 9pm when they were approached by the defendants.

A struggle ensued involving a member of the public who had seen the men acting suspiciously. During the struggle, Buchan said he had a gun but the man was able to see that it was a knife. Buchan produced the machete from his trousers and the man grabbed the blade, slashing three fingers on his left hand, causing tendon damage which has resulted in three operations, the court heard.

At the same time, Mitchell had approached the other supervisor and had pushed him inside the store and threatened him with a golf club.

Mitchell was taken to a rear office when he took two days’ takings - £3,500 in cash – before leaving via a different exit door and escaping over a fence. A Crown lawyer said it was accepted that Buchan and Mitchell were carrying out orders for other people, adding: “It is the prosecution view that they were not the main movers.”

Defence counsel for Buchan said: “He is not the instigator, planner or in any way the controlling mind behind any of these offences. Mr Buchan regrets deeply all of this, most of all that someone was injured,” he added.

Defence counsel for Mitchell said that all of his client’s previous record related to “petty sessions offending”, adding that the events on this date “marked a spectacular graduation to the ‘big league’, so to speak”

He described Mitchell as “a foot soldier” in this incident, adding that the defendant was not the beneficiary of the money taken.

Judge Corinne Philpott told the two men: “To a certain degree you have been used. If you involve yourself in this type of offending, you are going to get a sentence - Mr Mitchell is going to jail and he didn’t even get the money.”

She categorised the robbery as “an amateurish attempt which turned out to be successfu1.”