A man has appeared in court charged with robbery offences across north Essex and in Ipswich.
Danny Wrenn entered no plea to a number of robbery and weapons charges at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old is now be due to appear for a plea and trial preparation hearing in front of a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday, May 8.
Wrenn was charged with carrying out robberies in Chelmsford, Billericay, Silver End, Clacton and Colchester, and attempted robberies in Benfleet and Ipswich.
He was also charged with seven weapons offences and one possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Wrenn was arrested on Sunday, April 8, in connection with an investigation into a number of robberies at Co-Op and convenience stores.
Essex Police said Wrenn was subsequently charged with robbery at TN News in Baddow Road, Chelmsford, on April 3; robbery at the Co-Op in Stock Road, Billericay, on April 6; robbery at the Co-Op in Broadway, Silver End, on April 4; robbery at the Co-Op Local in Coopers Lane, Clacton, on April 2; and robbery at the Premier Store in Hythe Quay, Colchester, on April 5.
He was charged with attempted robbery at the Appans Superstore in Kiln Road, Benfleet, on March 30 and attempted robbery at the Co-Op in Laburnum Close, Ipswich, on April 5.
Wrenn, of Saddleworth Road, Romford, was also charged with seven counts of possession of a knife or bladed article in a public place and one count of possession of cannabis with intent to supply.
Suffolk police were called to reports of an attempted robbery at the East of England Co-op in Pinewood, Ipswich, at around 9.45pm on Thursday, April 5.
The incident in the Pinewood area of the town came after a number of robberies and attempted robberies at stores across Essex – most involving branches of the Co-op.
A robbery also took place at the Co-op store in Broadway, Silver End, at 9pm the night before the attempted robbery of the Co-op in Ipswich, on Wednesday, April 4.
Robbery is categorised as an ‘indictable only’ offence, meaning it can only be dealt with by a judge and jury in the crown court, although a defendant’s first appearance takes place in the magistrates’ court.
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