Two men who carried out a spree of terrifying robberies across Leeds and kidnapped a man have been jailed for over 30 years.
Benjamin Mills, 31, fired a gun at a shop worker at the Neil's Superstore in Chapeltown, Leeds, following a robbery he carried out with his co-accused, Ruwen James, 28, on December 1, 2018.
Leeds Crown Court heard that just after 6pm, the thugs entered the store and Mills grabbed a customer and held a gun to his head between his eyes while demanding money.
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Prosecutor Christopher Dunn told the court Mills told the owner and shop worker the man would be shot if they did not get the money.
He said: "James passed several packets of cigarettes and change from the till and could be seen [on CCTV] leaving the shop.
"In seconds, James comes back and grabbed the charity box and leaves the shops."
Soon after, Mills returned and the gun was discharged and narrowly missed a man stood behind the store's till. The bullet hit a number of bottles instead and they smashed.
Police attended the store and CCTV from earlier that day showed Mills and James outside at around 3.20pm.
Mr Dunn said: "That showed them in the street and the prosecution say they were watching the shop and planning the robbery. CSI confirmed a firearm had been discharged."
Just days later, on December 5, Mills and James carried out another chilling crime and kidnapped a man from his own home in Glossop Street, Leeds, in the hope of getting more money.
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Mr Dunn told the court the man heard a knock on his door and when he answered was pushed back into the house by Mills and James, who he did not know before the attack.
The prosecutor said: "Mills pushed a silver handgun towards him and James was holding a large knife. Both were shouting, 'Where's the money?' He told them they must have had the wrong address. Mills went upstairs and James took the man to a kitchen chair.
"When Mills came back down he held the gun to the left side of the man's head and shouted, 'I will smoke you.' The man heard a loud bang and he was struck with something to his left temple."
Forensic investigations later concluded that the gun had been discharged in the house.
Mr Dunn added: "He [the man] was starting to panic and wanted to get out. He told them he had a friend in Chapel Allerton who had money."
James and Mills took the man in his partner's car, a VW Passat, and ordered him to direct them. He took them to his sister's home and when she did not answer directed them around the corner to another house, and he made his escape and flagged down a police car.
Mr Dunn said: "When he got home the car wasn't there. The police recovered a bullet fragment that matched to the pistol used in the other robbery [at Neil's Superstore.]"
The next day, Mills and James were spotted in Mushroom Street in Leeds by plain clothes police officers who gave chase.
James was the first to be detained and was found to be in possession of a black lock knife.
Mr Dunn said: "Mills was pursued for some further distance. He was shouted at to stop but he didn't and began to put his hand into his manbag. At that point officers thought he was going to use a gun on them. Their restraint is highly commendable and it is very fortunate he was not shot"
Mills was detained and in his bag, police found a pistol, a lock knife, and the key to the VW Passat they had taken from their victim the day before.
In his interview with police, Mills claimed he had no knowledge of either robbery and had been in a bookmakers before his arrest when someone had put the firearm into his bag without him knowing, and he had felt it during the police chase and was trying to get rid of it.
He also claimed another person had given him the car keys as they were going to sell him the car.
Both defendants were charged and Mills was convicted at two separate trials of kidnap, possession of a firearm at the time he committed that offence, possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, robbery at Neil's Superstore, and possession of a firearm at the time he committed that offence.
At a previous plea, trial and preparation hearing he pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of ammunition without a firearms certificate, possession of a firearm when prohibited, possession of ammunition when prohibited (the latter two due to a previous conviction), and having an article with a blade or point.
James pleaded guilty at a plea trial and preparation hearing to robbery, threatening another with an article with a blade or point and having an article with a blade or point (the lock knife that was recovered upon his arrest.)
The court heard both defendants had a raft of previous convictions, with Mills previously being convicted for possession with intent to supply heroin, shoplifting and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and James previously being convicted for possession of a knife and three robberies, two of which were carried out on schoolboys.
Mitigating for Mills, Richard Brigden told the court he had had a "chaotic" upbringing, was diagnosed with ADHD and had a conviction for supplying heroin from when he was just 13.
He appealed to Recorder Abdul Iqbal not to find him as a "dangerous" offender.
Mitigating for James, Robin Frieze told the court for his client, possessing a knife had "become the norm for him because of the lifestyle he was leading and the people he was associating with."
He added that James had been on remand in custody since pleading guilty at the plea trial and preparation hearing in 2018, and has effectively served a three-year sentence.
Mr Frieze said: "He has a very supportive family who have stood by him. He is somebody who is capable of putting this life behind him."
The Recorder sentenced Mills to 12 years for the first offences carried out at Neil's Superstore and 13 years for the offences carried out in Glossop Street, and the possession offences on December 6. The judge ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, making a total of 25 years.
Mills will have to serve two thirds of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.
Recorder Iqbal told him: "There is a significant risk of harm to members of the public."
James was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for his part in the crimes. He will have to serve half of his sentence on licence.
Following their sentencing, Detective Superintendent Fiona Gaffney, of West Yorkshire Police Firearms Prevent and Investigations Team, said: “The criminal use of firearms is something we will always treat extremely seriously and do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.
“The incidents in this case will have been absolutely terrifying for the members of the public who were unfortunate enough to be targeted. Not only were the victims threatened at gunpoint with a loaded weapon, but live rounds were recklessly discharged by Mills on both occasions without any thought to the potentially deadly consequences that could have resulted.
“Both men were quickly identified as suspects and a firearms operation was put in place to locate and detain them. Those arrests took place in what was clearly a very challenging and dynamic situation that was swiftly brought to a safe conclusion through the professionalism and cool headedness of the firearms officers who carried it out.
“A thorough and detailed investigation by specialist firearms offence detectives built up a comprehensive package of evidence that has finally seen both men held accountable for their actions and given significant jail terms.
“We hope this successful outcome will reassure the victims of these offences and the wider community, and also send a very clear message to others of how seriously the police and courts will treat offences involving firearms.”
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