A bank robber has been sent to prison for the third time after a bank manager recognised him after he tried to rob the same bank for the third time.
Cecil Stevens had already served two previous jail terms for bank robbery when he threatened a cashier at a branch of NatWest in St. Phillips Place on 11th October 2019.
During the raid, Stevens grabbed handfuls of notes from the cash drawer.
Twenty-four hours later, Stevens returned to the same branch and robbed it again, stealing cash along with a red dye pack.
CCTV from the branch showed Stevens running from the scene with the red dye leaking from his pocket. The cash and the dye pack were found in a nearby bin.
Later that same day, the hapless thief tried to rob a Nationwide bank in the same high street.
Stevens covered his head with a towel and ran behind the counter as he threatened a cashier and grabbed notes from an ATM.
The Nationwide employee immediately activated a security smoke device, and Stevens left the scene as the bank filled with smoke.
Having seen Stevens a couple of times, the manager at the branch of NatWest in St. Phillips Place spotted him as he returned to the bank on 7th November.
A security guard told Steven’s to remove his headwear but Steven’s refused and instead just turned around and left the bank.
The manager followed Steven’s as he left while at the same time, dialling 999 to ask for the police. Two other Colmore Business Improvement District security officers were also alerted to Steven’s.
They kept watching on him until the police arrived.
Stevens, from Lombard Street in Digbeth, had already served two prison sentences.
He was convicted of robbing a building society at gunpoint in 1998 and was later sentenced for another robbery at a post office in East Yorkshire in 2008.
Stevens pleaded guilty to one robbery, two counts of theft and one count of attempted theft. He was jailed for 11 years.
Detective Constable Nick Betts said:
“I have to praise the actions of the bank manager and security team in the city centre.
“They reacted immediately and were instrumental in putting a prolific offender behind bars for a very long time.”
A spokesperson for Colmore BID said:
“Keeping local businesses safe is a key part of the work that we do.
We’re really proud of the partnership we have with West Midlands Police that helps us to do this, and we are pleased to have been involved in helping to bring this offender to justice.”
CLICK here to join our Emergency Services News community on Facebook.
Our social media group/community is open to both the public and emergency services personnel.
It is also a great place to share any emergency services related content (such as videos) which you have filmed.
If you have a story or video that you would like us to cover/share, then you can contact our team via contact@emergency-services.news
We also cover stories which relate to the NHS, the armed forces and the security services.
Join our WhatsApp community!
ESN is now on WhatsApp, and we want you to join our 'read only' channel.
To join, you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click the link and press 'Join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up, and no one can send messages except the ESN team.You won't get any 'SPAM' just news stories & videos written & produced by our team of former emergency services personnel.
Joining our WhatsApp channel is a great way to help support our work and best of all, it is free!
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Before you read or leave a comment...
In an age where mainstream media often overlooks the sacrifices made by our emergency services personnel, Emergency Services News is a critical fact-based voice you can trust
While we persist in our mission, we need your help to continue. Your donation directly enables us to produce high-quality content that elevates the stories and challenges faced by the men and women who serve, stories that are often ignored elsewhere.
We deeply appreciate your support. Your contribution empowers us to keep shining a light on the remarkable, yet often overlooked, individuals who serve our communities every day. Thank you for standing with us.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
It’s heartening to see how little intelligence these losers jave. This one must have the IQ of a newt and a brain the size of a walnut.