Jail for man who held up betting shop armed with can of deodorant stuck to toilet roll holder

A man who held up a betting shop with a can of deodorant stuck to a toilet roll holder to make it look like a gun has been jailed. The makeshift ‘gun’, covered by a white cloth, was used by Jason Gibney when he struck at Ladbrokes in Birkdale, Merseyside.



The May 7 raid led to a nearby high school being put on lock-down as a precaution. Gibney was jailed on Friday for 40 months for robbery and handed a two-year sentence for possession of an imitation firearm to run at the same time.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he held up the rudimentary ‘gun’ to staff in Ladbrokes at around 9am. He threatened them and made off with cash. Police said that while no-one was hurt in the robbery, staff were left “very shaken”.



Nearby Christ the King High School was locked down on police instruction as a precaution. Gibney, of Birkdale, was arrested on May 11 and charged the following day. He admitted the charges.