A knife-wielding robber has been jailed for 13 years after a number of robberies and other offences over the course of three months.

Marcus Piper, 27, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

Piper had committed robberies, an attempted robbery and an aggravated burglary over the course of three months in 2020.

His arrest followed the robbery of a taxi driver on Colchester Road in Southend on August 22.

Another robbery took place on September 5 and an attempted robbery the day after on Palmerston Road in Westcliff.

On September 12 he had used a knife to intimidate an employee at Station News, Shoebury, threatening to "cut [his] throat" and stab the victim. He then demanded money from the till and took three packets of cigars from behind the counter.

Piper dropped the weapon and a packet of cigars near Shoebury train station which were forensically recovered to add to the case against him.

On October 14 he threatened to kill an employee at Londis newsagents in Ronald Park Avenue, Westcliff, if he did not give him the money from the till. He was armed with a knife on this occasion too.

Piper forced entry to a property on Rochford Road, Southend, armed with a baseball bat and caused injuries to one resident before stealing electrical items from the victim.

At court yesterday, Piper was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the aggravated burglary.

He received four years for each of the robberies of taxi drivers, and six-and-a-half years for newsagent charge.

These sentences will run concurrently to the aggravated burglary sentence, and he must serve two thirds of his time in prison before being considered eligible for parole.

Detective Inspector Steve Franklin, who manages Southend CID, said: “Piper continually targeted people who were just doing their job during a really difficult time for small businesses and those who are self-employed. I know they suffered significant losses because of his greed.

“I am sure that his violent actions will have a lasting impact on all of those who were affected by these crimes and I would like to thank all of the members of the public who came forward to report these incidents to us.

“Carrying a knife is not acceptable and, as we’ve seen in this case, there will be significant consequences if you’re found to be doing so. This violence is the reason that Piper will serve an additional five years on licence.

“If you’re in a similar situation, it’s not too late to turn your life around. Please bring your knives to your local knife bin, and reach out to charities like Fearless who can help you get to a better place.” Detectives issued an appeal to find Piper on social media and through the charity Crimestoppers offering a reward.

Public information helped intelligence teams track down Piper and he was arrested by Southend Proactive Team on October 21 last year.