A ROBBER begged for forgiveness after a frightening raid where he smashed open jewellery cabinets and hid a watch in his bottom.

Simon Jacobs was one of two men who went into Chimes in Trinity Street, Colchester, in a brazen 11am robbery in August.

The armed pair, who were both wearing motorcycle helmets and wielding metal poles, threatened a staff member and began to smash cabinets at the store before making off with a significant amount of jewellery.

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

Staff at nearby Poppy’s Tea Room barricaded themselves in when Jacobs came into the store demanding to know where they keys were.

Gazette: Robbers of Chimes, in Trinity Street, Colchester flee

Both men then ran off and were chased by an off duty-detective and two members of the public.

Jacobs was tackled to the ground and later arrested, while the other man escaped.

The 21-year-old told police he had swallowed heroin and cocaine so they transferred him to Colchester General Hospital for treatment where he asked to use the toilet.

In the cubicle, he removed a watch he had concealed in his backside and tried to flush it down the toilet.

The watch was retrieved and Jacobs accepted his story about the drugs was a lie.

The total value of the goods destroyed or damaged was estimated at approximately £30,000.

The other man was not caught.

Jacobs, of no fixed abode, admitted robbery and was sentenced to 32 months jail at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Jacobs was out on licence for a previous aggravated burglary at the time of the latest offence but told the court he had a new perspective on life.

He said: “I’m not the same person as I was then.

“I am not a scumbag robber or burglar - I am a painter and decorator and a family man who has made a serious mistake.

“For that I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to cause the victims any kind of pain or suffering.

“Being back in prison has changed my whole perspective on crime.

“I know I cannot be doing things like this anymore.

“If there way anyway to reverse things then believe me I would.

“I am not a bad person. I made a bad decision and it will haunt me every day.”

Jacobs said the sentence would hurt him, his partner and his unborn child.

Hannah Sutton, mitigating said: “There has been a significant change in his behaviour.

“He has grown up in the criminal justice system and is now beginning to make progress.”

Recorder Ian Evans said he had a “degree of cynicism” and Jacobs’ desire to change having heard of his 21 previous convictions for 34 offences.

'Recall law is a blot and a stain'

A JUDGE has criticised laws which blocked him from extending Jacobs’ prison sentence.

The 21-year-old was jailed for six years in 2015 after threatening a man in a house in West Street, Harwich, with an imitation gun but had been released on licence by the time of the robbery at Chimes.

As soon as he admitted the fresh offence his “recall” activated meaning he was jailed until December 2022 for his previous crimes.

But Section 265 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 says any fresh sentences cannot be made consecutive, so Jacobs new 32 month sentence will run at the same time, meaning he serves no real extra sentence.

Recorder Ian Evans said: “The section is frankly a disgrace.

“To an extent it gives offenders on licence a degree of immunity. That is a radical failing.

“Its presence is a blot and a stain on the justice system.

“But the court is impotent to do anything about.”

Mr Evans added: “More important people than me have had their say.

“Nothing will happen but it is important to articulate it.”