A violent robber who targeted bookmakers in Charlton, Woolwich and Greenwich in a four-month period has been jailed for ten years.

Lomanga Mote, 31, formerly of no fixed address in Kent, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, February 10 after he was convicted of two counts of robbery and a charge of attempted robbery.

Mote previously pleaded guilty to the charges at Snaresbrook Crown Court Court on August 30 last year.

Mote was arrested on May 4 last year, after Flying Squad officers identified him through CCTV images as being involved in a linked series of bookmaker robberies across south east London.

The first offence took place on October 10 2015, shortly after 7pm where Mote entered Jennings Bookmakers in Charlton and began playing on one of the fixed odds betting machines.

Mote then told a member of staff that the machine had taken £10 but not returned any credit. As the member of staff came from behind the counter to assist him, Mote grabbed her, putting her into a headlock and attacked her, before stealing £376 from the till.

The second robbery took place on December  172015, at Ladbrokes in Greenwich, at about 10am. Mote began using one of the fixed odds gambling machines and again attacked an employee after he came out of the staffing area. Mote produced a 12-inch screwdriver and threatened the member of staff to “give him all the money or he'll kill him”.

The member of staff was backed up into a corner and Mote stole a total of £273.

The last offence was on January 19 last year, at about 9.30pm at Jennings bookmakers in Woolwich.

Mote attempted to get staff to leave the secure area after complaining that the betting terminal was broken. The employees became suspicious and believed it was a ploy to get them to open the door to the counter.

Mote then attempted to gain entry into the staff-only area but left the bookmakers after he was unsuccessful.

Detective Constable Dave Crewe, of the Met's Flying Squad, said: "Mote has shown no remorse for his actions in any of the offences.

"He forced his way into secure staff areas and carried out unprovoked attacks on the employees in the bookmakers.

"Mote is a violent offender who carried out a number of crimes in a short space of time.

"The sentence handed to him by the court means he is now behind bars for a substantial period of time and will be unable to commit further offences."

Mote was also charged with another count of robbery at a bookmakers in Greenwich on January 23 last year. This count was ordered to lie on file.