Court hears how workers were threatened at knifepoint and attacked

Three men have been jailed after staff at a Southall jewellery shop were subjected to a terrifying ordeal during a robbery.

One of the workers was attacked with a hammer and had his jaw broken, another punched and another threatened at knifepoint.

The court heard that police were called at about 19.45 hrs on Sunday, 4 December to Euro Fine Jewellery Ltd on The Broadway in Southall after one of the workers managed to escape from the shop.

Six others were still inside the premises, two managed to hide but the rest were subjected to threats and violence from the three armed and dangerous men. They broke into the safe and stole a quantity of gold.

The three escaped when they heard police sirens, but following a police chase two of the men were arrested and subsequently charged.

David Fender, 39, a fork lift truck driver of Lea Road, Southall, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment; Saddam Fareed, 21, unemployed, of Sprowston Road, London E7, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment; Safeer Ali, 27, a hairdresser, of Halley Road, London, E7, was sentenced to six years and nine months for the conspiracy to commit robbery and a further three months to run consecutively in relation to a suspended sentence for affray he received at the Old Bailey on 13 August 2010.

Fender and Ali pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. Fareed was convicted on 9 July at Isleworth Crown Court to conspiracy to commit robbery at Euro Fine Jewellery Ltd, The Broadway, Southall on 4 December.

Detective Constable Rob McKee, from the Flying Squad, said: "This draws to an end a particularly terrifying ordeal for the victims who were tied up and assaulted by the defendants."

16th July 2012