Orpington man disguised himself using make-up to commit 'armed' robberies at travel agents

Between April 27 and September 26 last year David Bentley, 54, of Court Road, Orpington, stole £41,000 in cash and travellers cheques from travel agents in Tonbridge, Folkstone, Surrey and Lincolnshire, while brandishing what staff believed was a firearm.

On April 27 Bentley stole £7,000 from Thompson travel agents in High Street, Tonbridge.

CCTV images showed him escaping in a blue Citroen Picasso being driven by his partner, Justyna Pietrzak, 29, from Palmer Road, Gravesend.

On September 26, Bentley entered a Thompson travel agents in Lincolnshire and threatened staff with a weapon - the panic alarm was activated and he was seen to drive off in a Honda CRV.

Lincolnshire officers later carried out a stop check on the car and arrested Pietrzak.

When officers searched Pietrzak’s home they found a cosmetic box containing make-up had been used to disguise Bentley during the robberies.

At a trial at Maidstone Crown Court on September 15, Bentley was found guilty of four counts of robbery and four counts of possession of an imitation firearm.

Kent Police carried out a warrant at Bentley's home address in Court Road, Orpington - during the warrant he drove into the parking area of the property and was arrested.

At a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, Bentley was found guilty of four counts of robbery and four counts of possession of an imitation firearm.

Pietrzak was found guilty of four counts of robbery and acquitted of firearms charges.

She was given a two-year suspended sentence, suspended for two years, for her roles in the robberies and Bentley was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison.