A robber that held up a bingo club at knifepoint has finally been bought to justice after it took four years to catch him.

On October 15th, 2006 Lynton King, 28, and his accomplice Leroy Hippolyte, burst in to the Gala Bingo club on The Broadway, Pitsea They were wearing crash helmets and yellow rubber gloves and left with £5,000 from the raid.

King threatened terrified staff with a blade, and told them they would be stabbed if they didn’t open the safe. Shortly after the incident Leroy Hippolyte, then 30, was linked to the raid. The Police had found his fingerprints and DNA on the crash helmet, motorbike, a pair of rubber gloves and a hoodie, which had been found after being dumped.

He admitted the offence at Basildon Crown Court in April 2008 and was jailed for four years.

During that hearing, the court heard how King said staff would “get the knife in their backs if they did not get the safe open”. Lynton King was then arrested in March 2007 however granted bail he went on the run.

It took three before the police were able to pin him down. In April this year the Metropolitan Police officers arrested him for an unrelated offence. He was then handed over to officers at Basildon.

King, of Caraway Close, Plaistow, was found guilty of robbery and failing to surrender to custody, after a trial at Basildon Crown Court. He was sentenced to five years in jail.

After the sentencing the investigating officer Detective Constable Darren Ward, of Basildon CID, commented: “I am pleased King has finally been brought to justice, more than four years after committing this robbery.

“The staff at the time were terrified as King brandished a knife and threatened to use it.

“This sentence reflects the severity of the offence. I hope others considering making a criminal career through robbery realise, however long it takes, they will be brought to justice and put behind bars.”