Man, 25, jailed for robbing Preston shops while armed with machete
A 25-year-old has been jailed for a series of armed robberies in Preston.
Joshua Tattersall, 25, of Ambleside Road, Ribbleton, was found guilty by a jury in July and was last week sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for his crimes.
He entered the first of four shops wearing a balaclava and brandishing a machete at 6.39pm on April 18, 2024. Tattersall demanded the shop assistant open the till and hand over cash, but the shop keeper raised the alarm and Tattersall fled.
He then robbed or attempted to rob another three nearby shops within 20 minutes.
In the second shop, he again entered with a machete, demanded the till to be opened, and when the victim bravely shouted for help, he fled.
Eight minutes after that, he entered the third shop, carrying a machete, and demanding the shop owner opened the till. He again fled when the shop owner shouted for someone to call the police.
The final call, at 656pm, reported that Tattersall had again entered the shop, brandishing the machete, threatened the victim, and made off with £100 cash.
An investigation began, and Tattersall was identified as the person responsible. He was arrested on suspicion of, and later charged with possession of an offensive weapon, robbery, and three counts of attempted robbery.
He was found guilty in July 2025, and appearing in the dock at Burnley Crown Court last week he was sentenced to nine years and six months.
In a Victim Personal Statement, one of the victims said: “I remember the offender walking in and thinking, is this really happening, but when I saw the weapon I recognised that it was really happening. I felt scared, he was so close to me and the weapon was so big, I knew he could have easily reached me and seriously hurt me.”
DC Ben Clegg, of Preston CID said: “No one should go to work, or pop to the shops and end up being threatened. Tattersall made a choice that day to go out for his own selfish gain and scare people.
“I welcome the significant custodial sentence brought against him, and I hope the knowledge that he has been brought to justice will allow them some comfort and to begin to move forward with their lives.”