TWO men who went on a two-week spree of armed hold-ups which ended in a tiny newsagent in Chiseldon were jailed yesterday.

Peter Wheeler, of White Hart Avenue, Uxbridge, Middlesex, and Tommy Ellingham, of Frogmore Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex took part in eight robberies between December 28 last year and January 16 this year.

The pair both appeared at Swindon Crown Court yesterday after Wheeler, 23, earlier admitted 16 charges of robbery and firearm offences while Ellingham, 22, had admitted 14 of 16 counts.

Judge Euan Ambrose gave Wheeler a 15-year extended prison sentence, 10 years of which was custodial, while Ellingham was jailed for eight years.

The court heard the duo were caught after police in Uxbridge raided their homes and found clothing linked to an armed assault at Chaplins newsagents, in Chiseldon, in the early hours of January 16.

Wheeler, whose face was masked by a scarf and hat, threatened a shop attendant with a BB gun y pressing it against her chest and neck before demanding cash but the pair made off with just £100, prosecutor Michael Hall said.

Ellingham, who had just been the getaway driver in all but two of the robberies, also entered the shop and searched for a safe before fleeing with Wheeler, who had been released from prison a month before the spree.

In mitigation, Wheeler’s defence counsel Nichola Cafferkey said: “He has accepted responsibility for his offending and has not set to minimise it in any way.

“He has undertaken a victim awareness course while in custody, which has given him a greater insight into the impact of his actions and is keen the court understands his expressions of remorse are not in vain.”

Mark Butler, acting for Ellingham, said: “His parents are in court and are deeply shamed and worried. This is a case of a young man who had a very bright future before him, who over a period of weeks completely destroyed that.

“He has co-operated fully with police and written to the victims to express genuine remorse.”

In passing sentence judge Ambrose dealt with each of them in turn. And a further 32 offences, 19 for Wheeler and 13 for Ellingham, were taken into consideration.

“You are the person most responsible for these offences – you were the lead role and your record is terrible,” he told Wheeler, who has previous convictions.

Of Ellingham, he said: “You were someone who had a promising start in life but became embroiled in in class A drugs.”