A man and woman charged in connection with an armed robbery against a travel agent in Caterham last year have been found guilty following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Yesterday (Monday, 15 September) David Bentley, 54, formally of Court Road in Orpington, Kent was found guilty on four counts of robbery and four counts of possession of a firearm. Justyna Pietrzak. 28, of Palmer Avenue in Gravesend was found guilty on four counts of robbery.

Events unfolded at the Thomas Cook travel agents on Croydon Road at around 2.40pm on Monday, 8 July, 2013 when several members of staff were threatened by Bentley with what is believed to be a firearm before he left the store with over £15,000 in cash and travellers cheques. It is believed Bentley left Caterham in a car which was waiting nearby for him driven by Pietrzak.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Sean Kelly, said: "This was a terrifying experience for all those who were in the store at the time of the robbery and I hope the guilty verdict goes some way to help their recovery following the incident.

"I would like to praise the witnesses who bravely stood and gave evidence throughout the trial, this can be a daunting experience but if it wasn't for people like this we would not be able to secure convictions against dangerous individuals like Bentley and Pietrzak.

"The media also played a significant role in this investigation. Within minutes of the offence being committed local media helped us circulate the image of the man wanted in connection with the crime, warning people to be on their look-out for him. BBC Crimewatch also assisted by featuring the case a couple of weeks later and we received some interesting intelligence on the back of this appeal.”

"Following the incident detectives from East Surrey CID worked closely with the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate after intelligence suggested the offenders could be responsible for robberies in their area too. It was as a result of the Kent and Essex investigation and partnership working that we were able to bring those responsible to justice.”

Bentley has been remanded in custody and Pietrzak released on bail. They are both due to be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, 17 October.