Armed robbers caught out by bragging picture of them celebrating heist in hot tub with booze, strawberries and bikini-clad women
The pair stole over £8,000 in an 'aggressive' robbery of a travel store. But never realised a photo of them on Instagram quaffing champagne and frolicking in a jacuzzi would land them in hot water
TWO armed robbers were snared by cops after posting this picture of themselves celebrating their heist with a boozy hot tub session.
Karl Taylor, 40, and Stephen Pattison, 41, never realised the photo of them quaffing champagne, eating strawberries and frolicking with a girl in a jacuzzi would land them in hot water after the bragging snap was posted on Instagram.
But it was found by cops investigating an £8,000 raid at a Co-op travel agents by masked robbers who threatened staff with a machete.
Officers raiding Taylor's home found £1,500 in cash hidden in a coat hung up in the hallway along with a mobile phone which contained the hot tub photo and the text message: ''Where are you. Bring glasses and muni.''
A search of Pattison's home recovered £2,000 cash plus a balaclava in the bedroom, while the machete was found in the abandoned getaway van.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Taylor from Mottram, near Hyde, was jailed for 17 years and Pattison, of Stalybridge, got 18 years after both were convicted of conspiracy to rob.
The picture and text message - sent days after the raid - were shown to the jury during their trial. The 23-year-old girl in the picture was acquitted of wrongdoing.
The court heard Taylor and Pattison drove two getaway vehicles to the scene of the robbery on July 29 2016 before bursting in on elderly customers at the Co-operative Travel store in Glossop, Derbyshire.
Prosecutor Henry Blackshaw, said: “It had all the hall marks of a sophisticated, professionally planned robbery.
"Taylor was carrying a yellow draw string bag and Pattison was carrying a very large machete."
Taylor - who had a string of convictions for arson, burglary, vehicle crime, affray and a previous armed robbery - forced his way into the cash office while Pattison, who had convictions for heroin dealing and possessing a firearm, intimidated customers and staff.
When Taylor failed to get access to an estimated £40,000 kept in the safe, he punched a female cashier and grabbed cash from the till.
The pair escaped in a stolen Mercedes with fake registration plates before transferring to a VW Caddy van nearby.
But unknown to the robbers a tracking device had been secretly hidden in a bundle of cash taken in the raid.
Police tracked the bug to an empty house connected to Taylor and although they found the bug broken up in an alleyway, they used mobile tracking to connect him to Pattison and both were later arrested.
Judge Tina Landale said: “You were armed with a fearsome machete and burst into the shop on a busy lunchtime when elderly customers were waiting and it was staffed by middle aged ladies.
“You were both aggressive and both handled and brandished the machete. About £8,000 was stolen but it’s clear you both intended to steal a great deal more - this was an organised crime."
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