Balaclava Bandits Binned

Two prolific masked robbers who targeted betting-shops in East London – raiding one bookies four times - have each been jailed for eight years.

John Crick, 37, (pic.top) and Jason Chin, 40, (pic.bottom) only netted £2,000 from the robberies, during which they terrified staff by convincing them they were armed.

They were hunted down by Flying Squad officers, based at Barking, identifying Chin while he was serving a four-year robbery sentence, having been sentenced in 2000 to twelve years for a string of robberies.

Both Crick and Chin would enter the betting-shops wearing balaclavas.

One of them would go directly to the counter and either intimate a firearm or brandish a bag suggesting a weapon was concealed within, forcing staff to hand over cash.



The second male would wait and hold the door to the premises, securing an easy escape.



The offences were:
28 November 2010 - Corals, 97 Southgate Road, Islington.

10 December 2010 - William Hill, 51 Wilton Way, Hackney. 


31 December 2010 - William Hill, 355 Wick Road, Homerton. 


2 February 2011 – Ladbrokes, 81-83 Mare Street, Hackney. 


2 February 2011 - Corals, 97 Southgate Road, Islington. 


5 February 2011 - William Hill, 406 Hackney Road, Brthnal Green. 


8 June and 5 November 2011 - Corals, 97 Southgate Road, Islington. 


5 November 2011 - William Hill, 167 Mare Street, Hackney.



A search of an address linked to Chin led to the recovery of a distinctive black fur-lined hooded jacket worn by one suspect during the spate of robberies.


His accomplice, Crick carried on solo to commit further offences but was later identified by the Flying Squad and arrested.

A search of his home revealed several key items, including jackets worn throughout the series of offences and a distinctive pair of trainers and jeans worn during the robberies. 



Investigating officer Detective Constable Mike Baines said: “Despite the low gain, these men continued to rob bookmakers, causing staff a great deal of distress.

“Criminals intent on targeting commercial premises will continue to attract the scrutiny of the Flying Squad.”