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Jail for man who robbed Prospect Hill jewellers

Thu, 20 Aug 2015

A heroin addict who robbed a jewellery shop in Douglas last year has been sent to prison for over five years.

39-year-old Michael Bergquist was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse today - he raided RHS Jewellers on Prospect Hill on May 9th.

He entered the shop with his face fully obscured by a crash helmet, carrying a claw hammer, and jumped up onto the counter shouting "I'm going to rob you".

Bergquist then smashed a display cabinet stealing rings with a retail value of £25,00 before fleeing on an off-road motorcycle he'd taken without consent - he then proceeded to try and burn the evidence.

In court Bergquist was described as a "prolific offender" who has previous convictions for both robbery and burglary.

Sentencing him to five years and six months in jail, Deemster Montgomerie told him the robbery had had a devastating impact on the shop owner "personally, physically, financially and professionally".

He told him to consider the impact his offending had on his family saying "You're almost 40 don't you consider you're put them through enough and the time has come to stop?"

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