Bungling robber who raided bookies with garden shears gets caught - after dropping loot all over the floor

As robberies go, this failed raid has to be up there as one of the most ridiculous.

Leigh Barry threatened staff at a bookmakers with a pair of garden shears, failed to break a pane of glass with a chair, and was then caught after dropping the stolen money all over the floor.

He had burst into the bookies in Birmingham before waving the shears at staff in an attempt to get them to hand over money.

After realising this wasn't working, he made a desperate grab for pound coins lying on the counter before running off – but then dropped them over the shop floor. He then spent time trying to pick them up.

After running out of the bookmakers in Birmingham, on April 4, Barry, from Chelmsley Wood, West Mids, he was arrested by police after passers-by called 999.

On Friday, Barry was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Warwick Crown Court - 18 months for the bookmakers robbery and an additional three years for his role in a bank raid in Warwickshire in June 2012.

DCI Simon Wallis, from West Midlands Police, said: 'Despite his relentless attempts to get through to the counter Barry clearly didn’t have the strength to break the glass and instead settled for a handful of pound coins.

'As he went to leave the dropped most of the coins and spent several minutes picking them off the floor.

'This clear CCTV footage made a very strong case against him and he pleaded guilty when he appeared at court.

'While his efforts may look ridiculous, he was clearly a violent offender and is no longer a danger to members of our communities.'