A ROBBER who threatened staff at an Oxford car park with an 18-inch blade before embarking on a high-speed police chase has been jailed, thanks to the quick thinking of a neighbour.

Oxford Mail:

Craig Parker, 33, of Teviot Road, Reading, was set to stand trial for one count of robbery and possession of a bladed article but pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court last month.

Oxford Mail:

His accomplice, Andrew Leighton, 30, of Frilsham Road, Reading, also admitted his part in the incident on October 20 last year acting as a 'getaway driver' and pleaded guilty to assisting an offender.

At their sentencing hearing yesterday the court heard that Parker, driving a motorbike, first pulled into the UPark temporary car park at Osney Lane at about 9.20am.

Oxford Mail:

Staff at the car park were busy counting their takings for the morning and were sat inside a port-a-cabin when, the court heard, Parker burst inside wielding an 18-inch silver blade with an orange handle.

Oxford Mail:

He screamed for the men to give him the cash and shouted 'I will stab you in the leg, I will stab you in the chest'.

Unfazed, one of the car park owners; named in court as Carl Howell, reacted 'with anger' and held his ground, despite having a knife held against his chest.

Another man then intervened to bring the situation under control and Parker made off with about £800 in cash.

Oxford Mail:

Moments later an eagle-eyed resident who lived nearby spotted the same motorbike being loaded into the back of a white van and immediately suspicious she contacted police having noted down the licence plate.

Spotted soon after on an automatic number plate recognition camera outside of Reading police despatched a helicopter and in footage shown to the court the van was seen driving at speed through residential roads and swerving into the path of oncoming traffic.

Eventually police cornered the van and the two men were arrested.

In mitigation, Alistair Grainger said yesterday that father-of-two Parker had committed the robbery on the spur of the moment and that there had been 'little forethought'.

Rupert Wheeler said that his client, Leighton, was 'incredibly sorry' for his actions as the driver.

Parker was jailed by Judge Ian Pringle QC for six years for the robbery and 18 months for the blade, to run concurrently. Leighton was jailed for two years for assisting an offender and a further four months for breaching a suspended sentence.