Two men from west London have been given life sentences behind bars after stabbing a guard and threatening another with a gun while committing two armed robberies within four weeks.
Scott Berridge, 41, of St Clements Close, West Drayton and Anwar Shah, 51, of no fixed abode were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday August 24 to life imprisonment.
Pictures of the pair who pleaded guilty to their charges have been released by police following a joint operation between Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police to catch the robbers.
Berridge and Shah who were already on life licenses for previous robberies committed the two armed sieges outside Nationwide banks within just four weeks.
The pair ran off with a box of cash while it was being delivered outside of a bank in Buckingham earlier this year.
During the robbery, Berridge, who was wearing a balaclava, pointed a firearm at a guard's face however fortunately, no gunshots were fired, the Met confirmed.
Berridge was convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence following a two-day trial at the same court.
He also pleaded guilty to armed robbery and attempted armed robbery at an earlier hearing.
Meanwhile Shah pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and armed robbery.
Thames Valley Police officers were called to a Nationwide bank in Chesham's high street, Buckinghamshire on January 3 following reports of an armed robbery.
According to the force, a staff member was returning to his van with a box of cash after picking it up from the bank.
A masked Berridge approached the guard and pointed a gun at him before ordering him to drop the box and fleeing to a vehicle Shah had parked nearby.
Fortunately, no shots were fired during the robbery and the guard was not injured.
A joint operation with Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad - called Op Nano was launched to catch the pair.
Little more than one month later the pair attempted to rob another Nationwide bank - this time in the high street of Berridge's hometown of West Drayton.
Officers were already monitoring the pair after their first crime and arrived quickly at the scene on February 5 and arrested the duo.
However during the struggle, Shah stabbed a a guard in his left forearm.
The pair failed to steal anything during their second siege and luckily the guard has made a full recovery after suffering a hand injury.
Berridge and Shah were also both on life licences after being released from prison for previous armed robberies.
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"I am incredibly proud of the work of my officers in identifying, monitoring, and eventually apprehending these incredibly violent offenders," said Detective Chief Inspector Scott Hartley, of the Met’s Flying Squad.
"Both Berridge and Shah have a history of committing violent, audacious robberies and show no regard for the welfare of anyone in the commission of their crimes.
"It is incredibly lucky that the guard injured in this incident was not more seriously injured.
"The imprisonment of these men should send a clear message to anyone considering on committing acts of violence, we will do everything within our power to identify and arrest you," he continued.
"This job would not have been possible without the support of Thames Valley Police, with whom we worked closely throughout the entire investigation.
"We are grateful for their support and efforts to bring these offenders to justice."
