Two brothers who dressed as elderly men during a robbery have been jailed after officers detected a positive DNA match on their disguises.
Benjamin Murphy, 37, and George Murphy-Bristow, 28, of Islington, were jailed for a combined term of 31 years on Thursday at Basildon Crown Court.
Murphy, who was found guilty of robbery and two counts of possession of a bladed article, was given a 18 year sentence.
Murphy-Bristow, was convicted of robbery, two counts of possession of a bladed article, and going equipped for theft. He received a 13-year sentence.
During the trial, the court heard how the pair wore life-like latex masks in order to appear as two elderly men just before 11.30am on September 27, 2021.
CCTV images showed the two with receded hairlines while wearing gloves and raincoats as they entered the shop in Epping High Street.
Brandishing a hatchet and a knife, the brothers forced their way into the shop before moving into the back office.
Once there, they cabled-tied a staff member to a chair and took a Rolex from their wrist – the £15,000 watch was later recovered by the police.
After the alarm was raised, the brothers fled the scene in a vehicle which was parked outside.
Weeks later, Murphy-Bristow was stopped by Essex Police officers on patrol in Canvey Island.
After searching the car, officers found two face masks and clothing which matched those linked to the robbery. He was arrested at the scene.
A DNA test later identified the brothers to the saliva which had been found on the masks.
The pair were arrested on June 21 last year at separate locations and were charged with robbery, and possession of a bladed article and remanded in custody.
During a court appearance a day later, the pair denied being involved in a robbery. It took the jury just over an hour to return a guilty verdict on Thursday.
Detective inspector Yoni Adler, who led the investigation, said: “Benjamin Murphy and his brother George Murphy-Bristow planned this robbery, to use masks that would help them avoid detection.
“It was the forensic examination amongst other detailed detective work and proactive policing that proved the pair were directly linked to the robbery. I want to thank the store’s staff for supporting our investigation following an undoubtedly frightening incident, but I hope that they can now move on.”
