Crime gang jailed over 28 armed robberies targeting Cheshire and Manchester stores

Six members of a gang, who carried out a number of armed robberies at convenience stores in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, have been jailed over a spate of armed robberies in Warrington.

Jack Yarwood, Michael Burke, Stuart Watson, Daniel Adamson, Michael Kedie, and Connor Kedie, were all members of an organised crime gang who are now behind the bars, with four of the men receiving life sentences.

The gang has been accused of committing 28 armed robberies at convenience stores and supermarkets across Cheshire and Manchester over a span of seven months.  As per Cheshire Police, they used to target stores shortly before they were due to close, with the intent of stealing as much money as possible, along with large quantities of cigarettes.

On each occasion the gang travelled to the stores in stolen cars. One member of the gang would wait in the car while the other offenders entered the stores armed with machetes and threatened staff, demanding that they hand over cash and cigarettes.

During one incident in Warrington a shop worker was reportedly dragged across the floor by her feet.

Detectives from Cheshire Constabulary have linked the men to four robberies in Warrington, and Lymm as well, through forensic, ANPR and CCTV evidence.

The gang’s crime spree was brought to an end in November 2019, when officers from Greater Manchester Police executed simultaneous search warrants at the offenders’ homes in Greater Manchester. During the raids officers recovered two stolen cars that were used in the robberies along with a number of weapons, including a machete, a meat cleaver and items of clothing.

Five members of the gang subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, while Kedie pleaded guilty to assisting an organised crime gang.

“All of the businesses targeted provide essential services to local communities, and the robberies have had a profound effect on the owners and their staff,” Detective Sergeant Rob Massey, who led the investigation into the robberies in Cheshire, said, adding that their convictions and sentencing marks the conclusion of what has been a lengthy and complex investigation into a series of robberies.

“I hope that the conclusion of this case provides reassurance to all of the victims and allows them to move forward with their lives.”