22-year-old Wallasey Man Sentenced to Five Years for Threatening Bookmaker

Man charged with armed robbery after using imitation weapon during rain on sports betting shop.

Aidan Williams of Wallasey has been sentenced for wielding an imitation weapon during an attempted robbery of Betfred bookies. The 22-year-old father will serve five years on an armed robbery charge.

His lawyer attempted to drum up sympathy on grounds that Williams resorted to robbery in order to help his partner, who was recently threatened over a gambling debt. In addition, he will be separated from his 18-month-old daughter.

Williams entered the betting shop around midday, threatening a staff member with what appeared to be a firearm before making away with roughly GBP 325. Judge Robert Warnack stressed the fact that Callum Williams, the Betfred employee, was visibly shaken following the raid.

Callum Williams returned to work a few days later at Betfred, which provides an old-fashioned alternative to online sportsbooks in Britain. Unfortunately for Aidan Williams, the transgression means he will only be returning to the penal system, as he was previously handed a suspended sentence in 2010 for unrelated crimes.

Sportsbetting shops common target of raids

Regulated sports betting is kosher according to British gambling laws. Alarmingly, sportsbooks in Britain are a popular target for armed robbers. Numerous such establishments have been raided in Wallasey alone over the past year, with Betfred being only the latest.