Two men have been jailed for armed robbery after they held up the Brighton Belles masage parlour in Montpelier Road, Brighton.
Milan Mraz, 31, and Akintunde Drummond-Brown, 21, both of no fixed address were told that they would serve an indeterminate sentence of at least five years.
They had a knife and an imitation firearm when they threatened and robbed the women working at the massage parlour at about 3.30am on Sunday 29 April. Two customers and a male member of staff were also present.
They stole several hundred pounds from staff and from the safe but were arrested by officers from Sussex Police shortly afterwards.
The pair were jailed at Lewes Crown Court today (Tuesday 28 August) after they pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to having an offensive weapon, an imitation firearm and three counts of robbery.
Detective Constable Ed Downes, from Brighton and Hove CID, said: “I am pleased that Mraz and Drummond-Brown have received considerable custodial sentences.
“I hope it will go some way to comfort the staff at the massage parlour who were threatened and made to fear for their lives during what should have been the normal course of their business.
“Mraz and Drummand-Brown were swiftly arrested by armed officers shortly after the 3.30am robbery.
“Mraz was arrested in Western Road with an imitation firearm and Drummand-Brown was arrested in North Road with two large kitchen knives and several hundred pounds taken from staff and the safe.
“There were seven staff, one man and six women, and two customers present at the time of the robbery.
“Some of the staff received minor bruising but fortunately none of them required hospital treatment. They were all visibly shocked by their ordeal.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support and co-operation during the investigation.”
To view footage of the robbers in the massage parlour click hëre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI-y5HXb-4M
