The boss of a post office targeted twice by a prolific armed robber has told of his anger after the thug was given bail by the courts despite facing THREE other robbery charges when he carried out a second terrifying raid at his business near Burton.
Michael Ahearne, 33, from Burton, robbed the Tesco Express store in Stapenhill on April 12 last year. The very next day he robbed Draycott in the Clay post office. Incredibly when he appeared in court charged with these two serious offences he was granted bail by magistrates. He went on to rob Overseal Post office in May 2017 while awaiting trial. Again he was arrested by police and hauled before the courts and again he was granted bail.
And within weeks he carried out the second raid at Draycott post office, terrifying shoppers as he brandished a knife.
But this time staff and customers were able to stop the crack addict and he was arrested at the scene by police. Ahearne, of Blakeholme Court, was last week sentenced to 14 years behind bars.
Judge Michael Chambers remarked at the trail that said Sarah Powlson and one of the witnesses who helped catch Ahearne after the last Draycott raid should be nominated for an award by the High Sheriff for their courage and bravery.
Now joint Draycott post office owner Nigel Powlson has slammed the original courts decision to grant Ahearne bail after given Ahearne's previous crimes.
Mr Powlson told the Burton Mail: "We believe that Michael Ahearne should not have been at liberty to commit the second robbery on our post office.
"The decision to allow him bail, despite his previous convictions for armed robberies, despite awaiting trial for two more armed robberies and after being charged with another robbery at Overseal meant that Ahearne has been unnecessarily allowed to carry on his criminal activities.
"We have already written to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the police and crime commissioner and our MP on this issue as we believe that lessons in the court system have to be learned.
"It beggars belief that magistrates, after the Overseal robbery charge, could still allow Ahearne out on bail and, indeed, Judge Chambers in sentencing pointed out that for ‘reasons less than clear to him Ahearne was allowed out on bail’. They certainly aren’t clear to us and we shouldn’t have had to face a second robbery.”
However, Mr Powlson says he is grateful for the support he has received from his post office customers and the police.
He said: "We would like to say a big thank-you to our brilliant customers whose bravery and determination helped the police solve the first case and aided us in arresting and detaining Ahearne at the second robbery.
"The support and good wishes we have received from our customers demonstrates that community spirit wins out over crime in the end.
"We would also like to thank the police for their support through both cases, and their fine work in ensuring these men were brought before court and convicted."
A CPS spokesman said: "The CPS did oppose the bail when the defendant appeared before Derby Magistrates' Court on the May 29, 2017 when he was charged with the robbery of the post office at Overseal.
"However, the magistrates granted him conditional bail, notwithstanding his previous convictions for armed robbery and despite the fact that he was already on bail to the crown court for armed robbery."
A spokesman for the Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, which is responsible for magistrates courts, said: "Whether or not to grant bail is a decision of the courts to make within the statutory framework provided by Parliament in the Bail Act 1976 taking account of relevant case law.
"The Bail Act provides for a general presumption that bail will be granted in all cases, except in specific circumstances."
Ahearne was one of three armed robbers locked up at Stafford Crown Court last week.
The other two were Robert Duffey, 28, of Woodlands Drive, Foston, and Kyle Allison, 24, of Belvedere Road, Burton.
Another offender, James Harvey, 29, of Fabis Close, Swadlincote, had already been sentenced for his part in a string of raids. He was Ahearne's accomplice during the first hold-up at Draycott in the Clay Post Office.
Victim impact statements
Postmistress Sarah Powlson who was threatened by Duffey, Ahearne and Harvey during the first armed robbery at Draycott post office provided a victim impact statement, which read:
“This has had a distressing impact on me. We have run the post office for three years. I am nervous with people coming in when I don’t recognise them especially if they are wearing black clothing."
The court heard that the post office was closed for about five or six days due to the two robberies. While insurance paid out, the owners had to pay out £250 in excess per robbery which has been a detriment to them.
Following Ahearne’s second raid at Draycott when he had been bailed again after his Overseal robbery, another victim impact statement was made by one of the owners of the post office:
Mr Powlson said: “I can barely contain my feelings of anger that he not once but twice put us in danger. We are terrified.
“We have lost money, damage to the property and we are struggling to survive."
His wife Sarah said: “We are so terrified. It is hard to describe properly, seeing them in hoods.
“We are thinking of selling.”
A long list of previous convictions
Ahearne, 33: He has 13 convictions for 38 offences. Six of these convictions are for armed robberies in 2010, all with knives, all post offices around Burton, all with an accomplice and with dark clothing.
Duffey, 28: He has 28 convictions for 78 offences. In his youth he committed burglary, violence and arson. As an adult it was vehicle taking, commercial burglary, dangerous driving, fraud and shoplifting.
Allison, 24: He has 11 convictions for nine offences, such as dishonesty, carrying a knife, assault, and burglary. He was on licence at time of the robbery.
