AN armed robber who terrified a jewellery shop worker and tried to steal £30,000 worth of goods has been jailed.

Jordan Henniker was one of two men who arrived outside Chimes in Trinity Street, Colchester, on a motorbike before heading inside wearing crash helmets and holding weapons.

The 20-year-old threatened the employee on duty with a tyre wrench telling him to lock the back door and if he moved then he would kill him.

His accomplice, Simon Jacobs, began smashing cabinets and the pair grabbed as much jewellery as they could.

But when they returned to the motorbike to make their getaway, they found a passerby had knocked the vehicle over and taken the keys to stop them making their escape.

Staff at nearby Poppy’s Tea Room were forced to barricade themselves in as the pair demanded to know where the keys were.

Both then tried to run off but Jacobs was tackled to the ground by an off-duty detective who happened to be passing.

Henniker got away but officers were able to link him to the robbery because he discarded his motorcycle helmet which contained his DNA.

He was arrested several weeks after the raid in July 2018 and admitted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon last year.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

Robber - Simon Jacobs

Judge Rupert Overbury handed him a 32 month sentence in a young offenders institution during a hearing at Ipswich Crown Court - the same sentence Jacobs was given weeks after it happened.

“Plainly it was planned as you arrived on the scooter, both of you wearing crash helmets disguising yourselves as you knew there was CCTV,” he said.

Barry Gilbert, mitigating, said Henniker, of Norway Crescent, Dovercourt, was put up to the raid by Jacobs and struggled with what he believed to be ADHD and bipolar disorder.

“It was Mr Jacobs’ idea,” he said.

“Mr Henniker had worked since leaving school as a ground worker but was made redundant around this time.

“He found himself in debt and his friend suggested he help him with this robbery.

“Unfortunately he agreed to go along with that. Whatever his sentence, he has been waiting a long while for it.”