A PAIR of career criminals have been jailed for more than 14 years for robbery.

Drug addicts Aaron Nash and Mark Leigh carried out a terrifying knifepoint robbery at the Lloyds pharmacy in Pontypool town centre.

Nash alone committed a similar robbery earlier in the day at Rawlings Family Butchers on Market Street, Abergavenny.

After the raid in Pontypool the duo took a taxi to Cwmbran where they were arrested by armed police after being spotted at McDonald’s.

Nash went into Rawlings Family Butchers at around 8.40am on the morning of Monday, April 22 wearing a hood and armed with a knife.

(Image: Armed police at the scene after the armed robbers were arrested in Cwmbran town centre. Submitted) Prosecutor Emily Jermin told Newport Crown Court: “He threatened the owner who was working alone, telling her, ‘Put money in the bag or I’ll stab you.’ “The victim felt scared and thought he would kill her.”

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Nash got away with £80.

He and Leigh then took a bus from Abergavenny to Pontypool where they committed a “joint enterprise” robbery at the chemist.

A witness heard Leigh encourage Nash: “Get what you can.”

Nash walked into the pharmacy, pointed the knife at a young female worker and told her: “Give me all your money and fill this bag up with cash.”

The manager gave the defendant around £110 cash.

Nash, 41, and Leigh, 58, both of Mount View, Merthyr Vale, Merthyr Tydfil pleaded guilty to the Lloyds pharmacy robbery.

Nash admitted the Rawlings Family Butchers robbery and possession of a bladed article in public.

He has 11 previous convictions for 14 offences.

Nash was jailed for four years in 2007 for a knifepoint robbery at a hairdresser and five years in 2011 for wounding a girlfriend after slashing her across the face.

Leigh has 53 previous convictions for 106 offences.

These include a robbery committed with another man at Aberdare bus station where they “targeted an elderly man”.

The victim was followed before he was punched in the face and his wallet containing £25 stolen.

He was jailed for 30 months for that offence.

Rose Glanville for Nash asked the court to give her client a full one-third credit for his early guilty plea.

She added: “He has been full and frank in his admissions.”

David Pinnell representing Leigh said: “His day is dominated by substance abuse.

“The defendant didn’t play a principal role in the (second) robbery.”

Judge Shomon Khan told the defendants there were many aggravating factors in both their cases, including their previous convictions and the fact that they were drug-fuelled.

He jailed Nash for nine years and Leigh was locked up for five years and five months.