A man has been jailed for life after being convicted of taking part in an armed robbery for the second time in three years.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court took less than an hour to find Brendan Murphy, 33, of Fencote Crescent, Fagley, Bradford, guilty of the raid at a petrol station last March.

His accomplice Mark Metcalfe, 29, also of Fencote Crescent, Fagley, threatened staff at gunpoint and demanded cash before the two men, who had been drinking earlier in the day, escaped in a car.

But during the trial Murphy denied knowing that Metcalfe had a gun when they walked into the premises next to Sainsbury's supermarket in Harrogate Road.

Passing sentence, Judge John Cockroft said he was satisfied that Murphy played at least an equal part in the incident and "prompted and orchestrated" the robbery.

He added Murphy was the less intoxicated of the two men but had "plainly acted deliberately if clumsily in what he did."

Despite the life sentence on Murphy who was jailed for robbery in 1997, he will be eligible for parole in four years' time.

But the judge warned him: "You must not assume after serving four years that the parole board will recommend your release."

Under the Crime Sentences Act 1997, courts must automatically pass a life sentence on defendants who have already been convicted of a serious offence such as robbery on a previous occasion.

Murphy and Metcalfe made off with £150 before they were arrested later the same night.

Officers discovered a de-activated silver handgun in the Mazda car, prosecutor Ben Crosland told the court.

He added that during the raid, Metcalfe had pulled out the gun, pointed it at one of two female assistants working behind a till and said: "Give us it now."

Her colleague then counted the money and handed it over in order to get rid of the two men.

Metcalfe was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to the offence.

Mr Crosland added: "Murphy was well aware that an armed robbery was to take place.

"The Crown say that he knew what was going on and participated in it.''

Murphy had pleaded not guilty to robbery.

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