Suffolk man given five-year sentence after Newmarket petrol station armed robbery

A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to an armed robbery at a petrol station in a Suffolk town.

David McGowan, 49, of Tutte Gardens in Newmarket, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 16, at Ipswich Crown Court.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence and possession of a knife in a public place.

Police were called to the incident in the evening of Tuesday, December, 12, shortly after McGowan had walked out of the Shell petrol station shop in Newmarket High Street.

Upon entering the petrol station, McGowan, who was wearing a black ski mask, racked the gun he was holding and removed a knife from his waistband.

He then placed a bag on the shop counter and told the staff member to put money and cigarettes into the bag. He left the building having stolen cash and cigarettes.

McGowan was arrested on December 28 and was subsequently charged.

Detective Constable Carly Laflin said: “Incidents such as this are thankfully rare in Suffolk. However, I can only imagine the impact this incident had on the staff member at the petrol station that evening and has continued to have on them since.

“McGowan clearly had no respect for other people and only cared for his own financial gain. He now has time in prison to think about his actions and hopefully consider the harm he has caused.

“I’d like to thank all those that came to police with information, however big or small, it all has an impact on us as a force being able to go out and make arrests and ensure those responsible for such dreadful crimes are brought to justice.

“I would also like to thank the officers that responded to this incident and those that were subsequently involved in the investigation.

“I know McGowan’s actions will have had an impact on many people in the community, not just the staff member in the petrol station and those that witnessed this.

“I know the town will be grateful he is now behind bars.”