Bank robber and lover jailed after he pretended to be ISIS suicide bomber with fake device strapped to chest
Thorpe, 39, had a fake bomb strapped to his chest during one raid, while in another he held up a travel agent with a Christmas tree
A BANK robber who claimed to be a member of ISIS before raiding a store armed with a Christmas tree is today behind bars.
Michael Thorpe, 39, walked into a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) wearing a motorcycle helmet.
He passed a note to the cashier saying he was a terrorist and was carrying a bomb - demanding they hand over cash.
Thorpe then fled on a bicycle and met his partner Rochelle Holman, 31, who was waiting just around the corner.
The pair escaped in a getaway car, which they scrapped later that day, and used their ill-gotten gains to buy a new car and fund a holiday to Gran Canaria.
Over the following months, they executed another four robberies across Greater Manchester using the same tactic. They escaped with thousands of pounds in cash from two robberies at RBS banks in August and September 2017.
But Thorpe failed to pocket anything from Tesco Express two months later or the Vernon Building Society in December. Each time he gave staff a note claiming to be a member of ISIS - and on one occasion he dressed in a full burka.
On another occasion he carried an empty cardboard box and a wicker style laundry basket while pretending to be armed with a bomb and to help obstruct his identity from CCTV.
They tried to rob a branch of Thomas Cook in Manchester city centre using an imitation firearm in December last year. Bizarrely, Thorpe walked into the store carrying a Christmas tree and forced staff to hand over cash.
Later that day, officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Organised Crime Group executed a warrant at the couple’s home in Manchester and found the tree and clothes matching the description of those worn during the crimes, as well as an imitation firearm and numerous notes stating that the holder was a member of ISIS and carrying a bomb.
Thorpe admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and was jailed for 19 years at Manchester Crown Court.
Holman, admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and was jailed for seven years.
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Detective Sergeant Richard Castley of GMP’s Serious Organised Crime Group said: “Michael Thorpe and Rochelle Holman used devious tactics to strike fear into each member of staff they encountered during their attempts to make a quick bit of cash.
“Based on the nature of the incidents and the damning evidence we found during our search of their home address, it is clear that they planned each robbery in some detail before executing their strategy. This was not some amateur operation.
“They are now where they belong, behind bars and about to spend the coming years with plenty of time to consider whether it was all worth it.”