CROWBAR-WIELDING thugs who smashed their way into two newsagents, stealing more than £15,000 worth of cigarettes and alcohol, have been jailed.

The gang of armed robbers, disguised with their hoods up, forced their way in to the Co-op store in Finchampstead Road, Wokingham, on May 9 2015, where they broke open the door and the shutters in front of the cigarette counter. 

More than £8,200 worth of cigarettes were taken as well as over £700 in spirits, causing more than £2,300 in damage. 

The following day, the crooks targeted Santram Newsagents in Rances Lane, Wokingham, stealing close to £7000 in cigarettes, before they fled the scene in a Vauxhall Astra.

Police were alerted by several witnesses, eventually ending in a chase between officers and the get-away car. 

Only one gang member - Stephen Banham, from Manor Lane, Oare Hermitage, Thatcham – was caught at the scene, though he initially denied he had been part of any burglary, claiming he had been travelling in a separate car with a woman, but had been ordered out after the pair had a row and had hitched a ride with the other three who happened to be passing. 

Fingerprints on the car, identified him and accomplice Brendan Wooff, while officers traced the two other thieves, Gary Smith and Jack Cann, from CCTV footage.

Speaking at Reading Crown Court on Friday February 5, prosecutor Richard Mandel (corr), said: "When the Vauxhall Astra was stopped by police, the padlock of the door, bolt croppers and a crowbar were found and there were some cigarettes in the boot.

"Gloves and hats were found nearby with holes cut into them."

The court heard how following the incident, a witness statement was posted on to Wooff's Facebook, resulting in comments from friends that read "Look the Winnersh grass" and "Snitches need stitches" to which Wooff replied "True that", leaving the witness "upset, distressed and intimidated", Mr Mandel said. 

The court heard how Cann, was in breach of a suspended sentence for a previous drugs offence, though Barry Gilbert, defending Cann, argued that he was "very easily manipulated" and "easy prey".

Miles Haddon-Trigg, defending Wooff - who is currently serving 28 months for conspiracy to burgle and steal from five homes - said Woof suffers from mental health issues and had recently been feeling "hopeless" about the prospect of "spending most of his adult life in police custody". 

John Simmons defending Banham said his client suffered from poor health while Gillian Frost, Smith's defence, argued a custodial sentence would mean her client is unable to care for his brother who had been in a serious accident. 

Sentencing, Judge Paul Dugdale, said: "The owner of Santram Newsagents has a very ill wife and he looks after her.

"The four of you say life has been hard for you but it has been hard for them too but he has dealt with it.

"He has done that by contributing to the community and you have not, which is why I am going to send you to prison today."

Banham, 41 and Brendan Wooff, 32, of Mill Lane, Earley were sentenced to 22 months each for two counts of burglary to run concurrently.

Wooff was handed a three month jail term for witness intimidation, to run consecutively.

Cann, 20, of Kidmore Road, Caversham and Gary Smith, 32, of Goddard Court, Winnersh were sentenced to 17 months and 19 months each respectively for two counts of burglary, to run concurrently.