A man from St. Leonards who robbed one bank and attempted to rob two others in East Sussex has been jailed after being caught by the picture on his bus pass.
Alan Slattery, 67, of Stonehouse Drive was handed a six-year extended sentence when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, July 16.
Slattery, who's retired, entered three banks in Hastings and Eastbourne in the space of two weeks, and used written notes to ask the cashiers to hand over money.
But his first attempt failed because of his dreadful handwriting.
He tried to rob the Nationwide Building Society in Terminus Road, Eastbourne, at 10.45am on March 18, 2021.
Though he handed a demand note to a member of staff, the employee was unable to read his writing, and Slattery left the branch empty-handed.
Staff at the bank later managed to read the note, which said:
"Your screen won’t stop what I’ve got, just hand over the 10s and the 20s. Think about the other customers."
They then rang police, who attended and seized the note and CCTV footage from inside the bank.
Slattery's next demand followed eight days later.
Around 2.50pm on March 26, he entered the Nationwide Building Society branch in London Road, St Leonards.
He handed a threatening note over to the cashier who, in fear for her safety, handed over £2,400 in cash.
Slattery did not say anything, but left with the money.
Police attended and viewed CCTV from the bank and surrounding businesses, which showed Slattery boarding a bus moments after the robbery.
Enquiries with the bus company identified Slattery from the picture on his bus pass, which matched that as the person seen in the bank’s CCTV.
As enquiries were ongoing to trace Slattery, police received a call from the NatWest bank in Havelock Road, Hastings, around 1.20pm on April 1.
Staff at the bank reported a man entering the branch and handing over a threatening note demanding money.
The cashier challenged the man, who then left empty-handed.
Upon receiving this report, officers attended the last known address for Slattery and identified him walking in the vicinity.
He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and two counts of attempted robbery.
A search of his address found some sticky labels identical to the label that had been handed to staff at NatWest bank, and a jacket that matched that of the man seen in CCTV from NatWest.
Slattery pleaded guilty to all three offences, and was given a six-year extended sentence, comprising of four years in custody and two years on licence.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Jay Fair, said:
“These incidents caused fear and distress to both the employees working in the banks, and to the wider public.
“I’d like to thank all the victims and witnesses who supported our investigation, and I’m pleased to see the severity of the offences reflected in the sentence handed out by the court.”
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