Pair involved in gun point robbery jailed

Salim Basalim and Khalid Mansur

Two men involved in a gun-point raid at a betting shop have been jailed.

Khalid Mansur, 24, of Exeter Street, Rochdale and Salim Basalim, 21, of no fixed address admitted robbery.

At Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday (7 December), Mansur was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) and ordered to serve a minimum of four and a half years in prison. Basalim was jailed for three and a half years.

At 9.15am on Monday 25 July 2011, Basalim was playing on machines inside Coral Bookmakers on Milkstone Road, Rochdale.

He called over the manager, a 43-year-old woman, as if indicating a fault on the machine.

She went over to the machine and as she was making her way back to the till area was confronted by Mansur, who pointed a gun at her.

Mansur threatened the woman and demanded cash as he pushed her towards the till area.

He stole cash from one of the tills before hitting her over the head with the weapon and demanding more cash.

The victim handed him some more money and he then left.

A customer, who was in the shop, spotted Mansur leaving and followed him as he got into a Fiat Punto.

The vehicle description was given to police and as part of an intelligence led operation both men were arrested on 28 July 2011, during raids by detectives and officers from GMP’s Tactical Firearms Unit.

Detective Sergeant Jason Burke, of Rochdale CID and part of Operation Restore, said: “The victim was threatened at gunpoint and assaulted during a terrifying ordeal at the hands of Basalim and, in particular, Mansur.

“The monetary benefit to both men was very insignificant and the consequences of their actions have been reflected in their sentences.

“Both will now have several years behind bars to reflect on the misery they have caused to the victim, themselves and their family, all for the sake of just a few hundred pounds.

“I hope this proves how dimly the courts and police view such offences.”