A hatchet-wielding thug was caught on camera threatening staff as he raided Morrisons in a spree of armed robberies across Rochdale. Sean Zaffer Traynor, 34, robbed a number of supermarkets between November and December 2021, leaving the staff involved 'extremely shaken up'.
In some instances, he terrorised the staff with a knife or a hatchet and demanded cash and scratch cards from behind the tills. The first offence took place at Morrisons in Rochdale at around 7pm on November 13, 2021, where Traynor entered the store and waved around a hatchet in his hand before stealing the cash and scratch cards.
CCTV footage shared by Greater Manchester Police showed Traynor walking in the store wearing a hoodie and a face covering, as he raised the hatchet towards a member of staff. The worker was then ushered behind the counter by Traynor before he is seen grabbing the scratch cards and leaving the store.
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The robberies continued until December 2021 across Rochdale and left staff who were working in the stores at the time 'extremely shaken up' according to Greater Manchester Police. The amount stolen from the various stores resulted in over £2,000 in losses.
Police have said that the staff working at the targeted supermarkets were 'scared for their lives' in the ordeals and that some of the victims involved are still recovering and have been left 'extremely shaken up'. Nobody was injured in any of the robberies.
Sean Zaffer Traynor, of Rochdale, was sentenced on Monday, December 5 at Minshull Street Crown Court to a total of 12 years, for six counts of business robberies and six counts of possession of a bladed article in Rochdale.
Detective Constable Elizabeth Stacey, from GMP's Rochdale’s Crime Investigation Department, said: "This was a series of terrifying robberies that saw staff members and shoppers scared for their lives - some are still recovering from the ordeal. The staff were members of the public and were threatened with a weapon, they were simply doing their jobs serving the public in their local supermarkets.
“The team worked hard to put together various pieces of evidence through CCTV footage and witness statements in order to build a timeline of events which would be strong enough to be able to charge Traynor with the offences.
"The sentencing yesterday showcases the lengths we take to conclude an investigation and shows that no matter how organised or sophisticated the group or individual may be, we will thoroughly investigate and put offenders in jail for a long time. I’m pleased with the result from court today and relieved that a dangerous offender is now off our streets and successfully brought to justice for his crimes.”
Force lead for robbery, Superintendent Ian Jones added: “Officers across the force are committed to tackling this type of offence, there is an unwavering dedication seen force wide by officers and those on investigation teams to remove dangerous individuals who commit armed robberies from our community.
"Luckily no one was injured during robberies, but staff members were left understandably shaken up and fearing for their lives after being threatened with weapons. Officers across the force are dedicated to keeping people safe and will go to extreme efforts to ensure that Greater Manchester is not a safe haven for criminals.”
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