FOUR people have been sentenced following a spate of robberies over three days in and around High Wycombe.

The robberies and attempted robberies took place between January 5 and 7 this year in Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Maidenhead.

Sentencing took place last Monday, June 2 at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Rachel Ashby, 21, of Partridge Way in High Wycombe, was charged on January 9 with conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a Class B controlled drug.

She threatened shop staff and a taxi driver with a Stanley knife, while demanding money. She pleaded guilty on February 3 and on Monday was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge.

Kyle Docherty, 20, of Wye Road in Wooburn Green, High Wycombe was charged on January 9 with conspiracy to commit robbery.

He pleaded guilty on April 10 and was sentenced to 38 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.

George Green, 19, of Victoria Street in High Wycombe, was charged on January 9 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and two breaches of a suspended sentence order on April 30. He was sentenced to 36 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.

Tahir Tetlay, 26, of Walton Drive in High Wycombe, was charged on January 15 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery on April 10.

He was sentenced to 34 months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 12 months. He was also made to pay a £120 victim surcharge.

The offences took place at the One Stop Shop in Somerville Way and Sainsbury’s Local in Oakfield Road, both in Aylesbury, on January 5; two Corals bookmakers – one in Mill End Road, High Wycombe, and the other in St Mark’s Crescent, Maidenhead – as well as a robbery of a taxi driver in Wooburn Green, all on January 6 and the Ladbrokes bookmaker in Marlow Road, High Wycombe, was also the target of a robbery on January 7.

Sgt David Whiteaker from High Wycombe police station said: "This group of individuals has now been convicted of a conspiracy to rob in which six offences were committed in three days in January 2014 across High Wycombe, Aylesbury, and Maidenhead.

"Docherty, Green and Tetlay took advantage of a vulnerable young woman to draw her into committing a series of nasty robberies that have had a lasting effect upon a number of victims; and this has been reflected in their sentencing.

"Ashby threatened shop staff and a taxi driver with a Stanley knife while demanding money. She stole money from Corals in Maidenhead and from the taxi driver.

"Had it not been for the hard work of a number of departments in Thames Valley Police these robberies would doubtless have continued to happen. These convictions will hopefully act as a deterrent to those who may feel that they can avoid prosecution by having others commit offences on their behalf."