Two masked men robbed a Betfred-owned betting shop in Swindon, Wiltshire, on December 2nd. As reported by the Swindon Advertiser, the perpetrators used a knife to threaten a member of staff and escaped after placing approximately £1,000 in a green carrier bag. A single cashier was on duty during the incident, and two customers were also present at the scene. As neither of the robbers has been caught and the raid is under investigation, the area is subject to increased supervision by local authorities.
The Betfred employee who was working when the crime took place is suffering from trauma, according to her colleague, Mariza Noronha, who also pointed out that the victim had “believed that she would not see tomorrow.” The employee also shared with Noronha that one of the men stood at the betting shop’s door. The other perpetrator was the one who robbed the location at knifepoint, as he threatened the member of staff and then proceeded to take money from the till.
As stated by Noronha, the till was full of around £1,000 in funds from the shop’s emptied gambling machines when the crime was committed. Before the men raided the establishment, the cashier had been preparing to take the money to the shop’s safe.
After responding to the report of the robbery, Wiltshire Police appealed for Swindon residents who might have witnessed the crime to come forward if they saw anything or could provide any information about the case.
A Number of Betfred Locations Have Faced Similar Incidents
Unfortunately, the Swindon incident is not the first armed robbery involving a Betfred betting shop, as land-based betting establishments appear to be seen as appealing targets by criminals. In September, a Betfred location in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, made local headlines after an armed robbery took place within its premises. Although none of the shop’s members of staff were injured during the raid, Detective Sergeant Tom Barker of Harrogate CID stated that the incident “was frightening” for the employees who were on duty. He also appealed for the public to examine footage from their doorbell or in-car cameras and provide authorities with any information that could be of use to the North Yorkshire Police. No further updates have been made on the investigation’s status.
This April saw another Betfred establishment, this time in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, being raided. Similar to the offenders in Swindon, the robber, Anton Jones, was masked and armed with a knife when he committed the crime. He was careful not to speak while carrying out the robbery, however, as, according to the police, he had frequented the shop prior to the incident. Authorities were successful in arresting Jones after an extensive investigation involving CCTV footage and other pieces of evidence, and he is now serving a sentence of eleven and a half years.
- Author
Daniel Williams
