Man jailed for armed robbery at Prescot station

A 37-year-old man who was part of a duo that wielded a hammer at a G4S security guard and robbed him has been jailed for five years, following a British Transport Police investigation.

 

John Alan Manville, of Mardale Road, Huyton, Knowsley, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and theft of a car at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 5 June, and was sentenced to five years in jail.

 

The court heard how Manville had pre-planned the robbery by using the stolen vehicle with a cloned plate the previous week to follow the G4S security van. Then on 28 January 2019, Manville and another male carried out the robbery at Prescot station wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer demanding the cash the victim had picked up minutes before. The security guard, fearing for his safety, immediately handed it over.

 

The pair then sped away from the scene.

 

Information resulting from an appeal sent to local media immediately identified Manville as one of the offenders and a search of his home uncovered a balaclava.

 

British Transport Police DS Gemma Jones said: “This was a complex investigation which, thanks to the work of the team, left Manville with no choice other than to plead guilty.

 

“This was a truly terrifying ordeal for the victim who was left traumatised by what happened.

 

“Robbery and violent crime have no place on the railway. The sentence handed down sends a clear message about the consequences of crime.”