A DEVIL masked armed robber has been jailed for four years after raiding five shops in 11 days.

Sam Walker terrorised staff at three bookmakers and two newsagents armed variously with a long handled claw hammer or a tyre wrench.

Walker, who already had a history of using violence and carrying weapons, was out on licence at the time of the robberies.

Samantha Lowther, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday Walker needed to raise cash quickly to pay off his mounting cocaine debt so took to robbing shops in the evenings starting with the Coral bookmakers at 7.45pm on October 26.

She said: "The victim was a young man, Ben Clavert, a 21-year-old who was behind the counter.

"There were three customers in the shop.

"He remembers hearing the buzzer when the door opened and he saw the defendant."

Walker was wearing a red Halloween devil mask, complete with horns, with a hooded top.

In his hands was a long handled metal claw hammer.

The court heard Walker was shouting "open the drawers" and waving the hammer around.

Mr Clavert handed over some cash and was ordered to open the safe.

When he took too long to do it Walker kicked through the gate and went behind the counter making more threats before taking money from the safe and fleeing with about £600 smashing the front door as he left.

Walker then made his way to Ladbrokes in Prettygate.

Wearing the same mask, the same orange gloves and carrying the same weapon he entered at 9.15pm and went behind the counter grabbing about £190 in cash.

He smashed the door on the way out.

Two days later he targeted the third out of town Colchester bookmakers, this time William Hill in Harwich Road.

Using the same equipment, at 8.20pm on October 28, he took £334.

Walker was arrested by armed police in Parsons Field, Dedham on October 31.

Primary school children were warned to stay inside while he was picked up.

On November 1 the mask and the gloves, with his DNA on, were found near the Dragonfly Hotel, Ardleigh on a grass verge.

He was released and went on to commit two more robberies within a week.

On November 5, at about 6pm, he entered Martin McColl newsagents in Great Baddow.

Walker asked for change and when the till was opened he robbed the female shopkeeper who bravely tried to fight back.

He escaped with £850.

The following day he entered One Stop, Plume Avenue, Colchester.

Ms Lowther told the court this time he came across Liam Farrell, a shop assistant aged 28, who had only been working there for three weeks.

Walker was not masked but was carrying a tyre wrench and held it to the shopkeeper before taking about £30 to £40 from the till.

Katie Armstrong, mitigating, said he was remorseful, has admitted his crimes and he did it to pay off a cocaine bill in the thousands of pounds.

She said: "The reason why he committed these was to pay drug dealers.

"He has been told about these premises.

"He has been told which to target.

"He goes in with a claw hammer and with the intention of scaring people but would not have harmed then.

"He did think there would be more money."

Walker had previously admitted two robberies and asked for three more to be taken into consideration yesterday.

Judge Jonathan Seely said: "You conducted a campaign of robbery on bookmakers and shops over a period of some 11 days.

"You attended the first wearing a frightening Halloween style red mask, carrying a frightening looking claw hammer.

"You brandished the hammer. There is no doubt it must have been a terrifying experience."

Judge Seely spoke of the fear caused to all the victims and the defendant's record of violence and carrying weapons.

He sentenced him to four years for the Coral raid to reflect the "overall criminality".

He sentenced him to four years concurrently for the One Stop raid.

The other raids were taken into consideration.

Walker, 28, of Sheering Court, Rayleigh is already familiar with court rooms and prison cells.

He already had 12 convictions for 23 offences when he targeted shops and bookmakers to pay off his mounting cocaine debt.

On October 26 Walker, who was already on licence, robbed the Coral bookmakers, The Willows, Colchester.

He admitted the offence at Chelmsford Crown Court on February 9.

Also on October 26 he robbed the Ladbrokes at The Commons, Prettygate, Colchester.

He asked for the offence to be taken into consideration at his sentencing hearing yesterday.

On October 28 he robbed the William Hill bookmakers in Harwich Road, Colchester. 

He also asked for this to be taken into consideration.

On October 31 he was arrested at Parsons Field, Dedham.

On November 1 they found the gloves and mask on a verge near the Dragonfly hotel, Ardleigh.

On November 5 he robbed Martin McColl newsagents in Great Baddow. Walker asked for this to be taken into consideration.

On November 6 he robbed One Stop, Plume Avenue, Colchester.

He admitted the offence at Ipswich Crown Court in December.

Walker's offending began in 2009 with possession of class A drugs and common assault.

He already had multiple convictions for possession of a knife as well as convictions for battery, making threats to kill and dangerous driving.

He had already been recalled to prison after his licence was revoked, because of the raids, before sentencing yesterday.

The licence was for making threats to kill.