Three jailed after Wigan police dog chase

The men, two from Wigan and one from Liverpool, were jailed at sentencing hearing at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to attempted robbery offences.

Michael Clark, 28, of Chapel Fields Lane, Hindley has been sentenced to five years and four months for attempted robbery.

Jack Floweth-Brown, 21, of Lily Lane, Bamfurlong has been sentenced to five years and four months for attempted robbery and being carried in a stolen motor vehicle.

Leon Hardaker, 21, of Christmas Street, Liverpool has been sentenced to five years and seven months for attempted robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.

In the early hours of Friday 1 July 2016, a couple who run a mobile catering business arrived at their home in Shevington.

As they were unloading their car, the woman had gone into the house and heard her husband shouting outside.

When she went to see what was happening, she saw three masked men carrying a hammer, a gas canister and a baseball bat, threatening her husband.

The men tried to take clothing and money from the couple's car, before the woman chased them off.

By this time officers had arrived at the scene and were helped by a passing taxi driver, who stopped and showed them which direction the offenders had fled.

Police dog Paddy was deployed and found clothing and a gas canister which belonged to the offenders.

At the same time, plain clothed officers saw Hardaker, Floweth-Brown and Clark walking along a road nearby, The three had "clearly" been down the same wet and muddy path as the dog.

All three were then arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery.

Detective Constable Suzanne Rigby of GMP’s Wigan borough, said: “This couple were determined to stop their hard-earned money being stolen, and their quick-thinking paid off.

“Both the taxi driver and police dog Paddy, deserve a huge thanks, as it is down to them that we were able to get these men off the street so quickly.

“These three men came to the couples’ home, in the early hours of the morning, and tried to take what they had worked so hard for.

“I hope knowing that these men will spend the next five years behind bars goes some way to make up for the terror they suffered at the trio’s hands.”