A robber who threatened a terrified assistant at a Colchester jewellers with a tyre wrench while his accomplice smashed display cabinets with a hammer during a £32,000 raid at the premises has been locked up for 32 months.

Jordan Henniker and his co-defendant Simon Jacobs pulled up outside Chimes in Trinity Street, Colchester, on a motorbike at around 11am and entered the shop wearing helmets to disguise their faces, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

While Jacobs smashed display cabinets with a hammer Henniker approached the 58-year-old shop assistant who was standing behind a counter and pointed a tyre wrench at him.

Henniker told the terrified man not to move or he would kill him, said Godfried Duah, prosecuting.

He said the value of jewellery stolen in the raid and damage was £32,000.

The men had left the keys to the motor bike in the ignition while they were inside the shop and members of the public thwarted the robbers' escape by removing the keys and knocking the motor bike over.

Henniker and Jacobs went into a nearby shop looking for the keys and threatened people in the shop.

An off-duty police officer and other members of the public chased after the defendants who were throwing away jewellery and clothing as they made their escape.

Henniker was linked to the robbery after his DNA was found on clothing recovered by police, said Mr Duah.

Henniker, 20, of Norway Crescent, Harwich, admitted robbery and possessing an offensive weapon on July 28 2018 and was sentenced to 32 months' detention in a young offenders' institution.

Jacobs, 21, of no fixed address, admitted robbery at an earlier hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court and was jailed for 32 months.

Sentencing Henniker Judge Rupert Overbury said: "This was a joint enterprise and you are equally responsible as Simon Jacobs."

He said their escape was thwarted by brave members of the public and an off-duty police officer.

Barry Gilbert for Henniker said the robbery had been Jacobs' idea.

He said Henniker had got into debt after being made redundant and Jacobs suggested he helped him with the robbery.

Mr Gilbert said his client and a mental health appointment in a few weeks time and was on anti-depressants.

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