Only a week after terrorising shop staff and customers in an armed raid, former soldier Sean Kavanagh cockily brandished a sawn-off shotgun for a mobile phone camera.

Yesterday he stood in the dock at Bradford Crown Court and was told by a judge: “From the film made on the mobile phone you appeared to be rather proud of it.”

Jailing him for 11 years, Mr Recorder David Hatton QC told 24-year-old Kavanagh he had “terrified and terrorised” the two members of staff and four customers in the Coral’s bookmakers shop at Allerton Road, Allerton, Bradford, during the armed robbery in November last year.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the raid in which Kavanagh could be seen waving a sawn-off shotgun towards the staff.

His co-accused, Nathan Smith, 22, is shown hitting the counter with a hammer, knocking a woman member of staff to the floor and rifling money from drawers and gaming machines.

A third man, who has never been identified, is seen armed with a handgun.

Jailing him for eight years for robbery and a further two years for possessing a firearm, Mr Recorder Hatton told Kavanagh, who pleaded guilty to both charges, that all robbery was serious but that one was very high up the scale.

“You threatened to kill them. You had them lie on the floor and you robbed them. Whether the shotgun, or indeed the handgun, was operative does not matter greatly. Those that you terrorised wouldn’t know that one way or the other.”

The judge jailed Nathan Smith, of Ashbourne Oval, Bolton Road, Bradford, for eight years for the robbery and a further three years for conspiracy to burgle, describing him as an enthusiastic member of the burglary team.

Prosecutor Richard Newbury said the three robbers had their faces covered by balaclavas and wore gloves. Kavanagh, in particular, made threats to kill the people inside. Mr Newbury said everyone was made to lie on the floor and staff were forced to open the tills and gaming machines.

A week later Kavanagh was filmed on his mobile phone in Smith’s bedroom demonstrating how to use a similar sawn-off shotgun, saying ‘let’s do it like that.’ Mr Newbury said the gun might have been incapable of being fired but the shop staff would not have known that.

Seven cartridges were found in a sock and a glove, containing Smith’s DNA, in a wheelie bin in the garden of his girlfriend Laura Garbutt’s home.

Police found a bag containing the shotgun and a balaclava bearing Kavanagh’s DNA in the loft at his brother’s home. Kavanagh, of Rhodesway, Bradford, admitted putting them there.

John Lodge, for Kavanagh, said he had been successful in the Army as a young man but his military career ended – and his criminal career began – when he came home for the weekend and killed someone while drink-driving.

His five-year custodial sentence for that brought him into contact with criminal associates.

Mr Lodge said Kavanagh, who also had convictions for racially insulting words and behaviour, assault in a school playground, racially aggravated criminal damage, and threats to kill and possessing a machete as an offensive weapon, had borrowed £15,000 from someone to set up a sunbed salon in Thornton, Bradford, with a business partner.

But the partner fled with the money and he was attacked and scarred by the people he owed money to.

He bought a sawn-off shotgun to protect himself.

Andrew Lees, mitigating for Smith, who had convictions for wounding and arson, said he did not accept he was the ringleader in the robbery, which was “amateurish.” He had not been involved in serious offending before and had not been to custody and was well out of his depth.

Detective Inspector Noel Devine, of Bradford South CID, who led the investigation, said he hoped the sentences would act as a warning to others.

“Sean Kavanagh and Nathan Smith are dangerous criminals who thought nothing of terrifying innocent people in their pursuit of money,” he said.

“It’s particularly distressing for their victims to know they laughed and joked about the robbery. This goes to show those who commit armed robberies will be found and will serve long sentences.”

Nathan Smith was one of a team of “skilled” Hanoi burglars, who broke into houses across the north of England to steal the keys to expensive top of the range cars.

Prosecutor Richard Newbury said the gang would often target cars advertised for sale in motoring magazines, such as Auto Trader, ringing up the owner and pretending to be a potential purchaser to get the address.

Nathan Smith’s girlfriend, Laura Garbutt, was used as the “respectable” voice on the phone, the court heard.

The burglary team then struck at night burgling the house where the cars were, or identifying high value vehicles, parked in drives often at remote areas in North Yorkshire, through detailed reconnaissance.

The gang would drive to the burglary houses in a vehicle, which would then “shepherd” the stolen vehicle and act as a decoy if police showed any interest.

Nathan Smith, Michael Smith, no relation, 21, of Allerton Road, Allerton, Lee Cameron, 27, of Roxborough Grove, Allerton, Matthew Spaven, 22, of Thornton Road, Bradford, Joe Somma, 21, of Coal Lane, Ogden, Halifax and Laura Garbutt, 24, of Kildare Crescent, Allerton all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle.

Garbutt also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Mr Newbury said the first burglary, involving Nathan Smith and Spaven, was in North Yorkshire, in March last year when an £18,000 Volkswagen Golf GTI was stolen.

The following month the gang, including Nathan Smith, struck at Bishop Auckland, stealing a rare top-of-the-range VW Golf R32, which has been spotted this year in Bradford on false number plates.

In May, 2007, the gang, including both Smiths and Cameron, forced their way through padlocks, iron bars and double doors to a basement containing motorcycles in Royston, Barnsley.

Police were called and found an Audi A3, belonging to Garbutt, abandoned at the scene. Back home in Bradford she telephoned police and falsely claimed her car had been stolen.

A week later another so-called Hanoi burglary took place in Hull, involving the Smiths, Cameron and Somma, who was the driver.

Jailing Cameron, who committed another burglary while on bail and was in breach of a suspended prison sentence, for three years and nine months, Mr Recorder David Hatton QC said he had a substantial criminal history.

He said Michael Smith, who was jailed for three years, was also an important member of the team.

Spaven was jailed for two and a half years for attempted burglary, theft, burglary and aggravated vehicle taking while on bail.

Somma was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid community work.

Garbutt, who had no previous convictions, was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, with a 12-month supervision order and 60 hours unpaid community work.