A MAN who robbed a travel agents while claiming to be in possession of a gun has been jailed for six years.

Police were called to the incident at Tui in North Street, Brighton, on October 22, 2018.

Ian Jowett, from Peterborough, entered the premises and approached the counter with a piece of paper that was hand-written with the message: “Pass the money, I am not joking. I have a gun pointed at you, don’t mess about”.

Police said the member of staff, believing it was a genuine threat, proceeded to hand over a quantity of cash before the suspect calmly left the store.

Enquiries revealed the 55-year-old man had entered a nearby pub shortly after the incident, where he left his bag containing personal papers including his birth certificate.

It also contained some rolled-up paper, believed to be used to imitate a gun in his pocket.

A few days later, Jowett left the country and boarded a ferry from Hull to Rotterdam.

He committed similar offences in the Netherlands and Belgium, where he was imprisoned for robbery.

The Argus: Ian Jowett, from PeterboroughIan Jowett, from Peterborough

After serving his sentence, he returned to the UK where he was arrested and charged with robbery and put before the courts.

He pleaded guilty at Lewes Crown Court on July 30 and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Investigating officer detective constable Dan Aubrey-Smith said: “This has been a long and complex investigation – not helped by Jowett’s attempts to evade capture – but one which we were determined to see through.

“Robbery is an extremely serious offence which we will not take lightly; anyone caught and convicted of such an offence can expect to face the full force of the law.”

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