A West Molesey man who forced people to hand over cash at gunpoint as part of an internet scam was jailed on Thursday, September 24, at Guildford Crown Court.

Richard McCrorie, 25, from Fleetside, was sentenced to seven years for targeting unsuspecting “customers” by putting up fake adverts for cars on the website Gumtree.

His cousin, Alexander Gould, 22, from Norley Drive, Manchester, who ran the scam with McCrorie, was also jailed for six years.

The court heard the two men arranged to meet people in quiet, residential locations in affluent areas of Surrey to view the cars, having previously agreed that any payment would be made in cash.

Once their unwitting victims had arrived, the pair would use guns and metal bars to attack and threaten them into handing over money, the court heard.

But McCrorie and Gould were eventually caught when officers from Surrey Police’s Serious Crime Investigation Team (SCIT) set up a sting, following an intelligence-led operation.

The first robbery took place on Wednesday, April 22, this year, when a man in his late 40s from north London was lured to the outside of a property in Pond Road, Woking, on the promise he could view a BMW that had been put up for sale for £5,575, the court heard.

The victim had arranged to meet a man called “James” and on arrival was instructed by phone to park on the driveway and wait for him, as he was running late.

However, while he waited, two men wearing balaclavas, one of whom was armed with a black pistol, appeared from behind a hedge and dragged him out of the driver’s seat. He was then hit over the head with either a shotgun or a metal bar, and the men demanded he hand over money or he would be killed.

The court was told the victim handed over £1,100 to the men, who then fled. He was left with blood pouring from his head and later needed stitches to a number of cuts on his face.

The pair next struck on Monday, April 27, when a man from Wembley arranged by text message to meet “John” at a property in Heathview, East Horsley, after responding to an advert for an Audi A3 on sale for £6,500. He withdrew £6,000 from the bank and travelled down to the location in a Transit van with his partner.

As the couple waited, the court was told, the two men in balaclavas and carrying metal bars approached the van from behind, but the victim managed to activate the central locking system.

McCrorie and Gould then began smashing the windows of the van, before the victim drove away. The victim was left with injuries, including a broken right cheekbone.

Later that evening, a third incident took place in Kiln Lane, Ripley, when a man from London in his 30s and a friend arranged to meet “John” to view an Audi A3. While they sat in the car, the pair approached the vehicle, one armed with a metal bar and the other with a black handgun.

The court heard the victim then had the gun held to his head and was told he would be shot if he failed to hand over the money.

He told his attacker he did not have the money, so instead gave a bag that contained a laptop and a passport. He also had his mobile phone stolen.

The man’s friend, who had driven them to Ripley, was repeatedly hit with the metal bar before he managed to start the car and drive away. His injuries included a broken right cheekbone.

On Tuesday, May 19, this year, a meeting was arranged with what McCrorie and Gould believed to be a couple looking to purchase a BMW, but was in fact members of the SCIT.

Officers watched as McCrorie and Gould scouted their intended target, a white van parked outside an address in Shaftesbury Road, Woking, which contained a number of firearms officers from Surrey Police.

As they approached the van from either side, McCrorie pulled out a black handgun and Gould pulled out a large knife.

As McCrorie raised his weapon, he was Tasered by an officer sat in the driver’s seat, before being rugby tackled to the ground by a colleague, the court was told.

At the same time, the officer in the passenger seat pointed her Taser at Gould, while two other armed officers jumped out of a side door and ordered him to lie on the floor. Both were arrested and taken into custody.

McCrorie pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery and three counts of possession of an imitation firearm, while Gould pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery and one count of possession of an imitation firearm at the same hearing.

Following the case, Detective Inspector Pete Fulton said: “McCrorie and Gould were part of a well planned and elaborate conspiracy to lure people they believed would be carrying a substantial amount of cash to quiet residential areas so they could rob them.

“They were prepared to use extreme levels of violence to achieve their aims and their crimes have had a terrifying and lasting effect on their victims.

“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the officers involved, whose actions helped halt this conspiracy in its tracks and take two clearly dangerous offenders off the streets.

“We would advise anyone who is thinking of purchasing goods they have seen on an internet advert to act with caution. It is advisable to seek alternative methods of payment other than cash and never suggest to the seller that you would have large amounts of money on your person.”

• Get the latest crime figures in our Local Information section