Champion biker David Shoubridge jailed for robbing betting shops

A former British champion motorcyclist who robbed betting shops and service stations, escaping with £100,000, has been jailed for eight years.

David Shoubridge won the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup Championship at Brands Hatch in October 2022, but began committing crimes a month later.

St Albans Crown Court heard he was "a lost soul battling gambling debts".

The 35-year-old of Downsfield, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to numerous offences including robbery.

He also admitted attempted robbery, possession of a firearm and of an imitation firearm, theft, going equipped for theft and attempted theft.

The offences occurred between November 2022 and July 2023.

The court heard he began committing crimes at bookmakers in Hatfield and Potters Bar, and the Welcome Break service station at South Mimms.

Prosecution barrister Philip Mizner said Shoubridge wore black clothing and a balaclava or motorbike helmet, and wielded what appeared to be a handgun when targeting premises.

On several occasions he used an angle grinder and crowbar to break into cash payout machines.

At one robbery he left his DNA on a magazine belonging to a BB pistol, which allowed police to link him to the offence.

Shoubridge was caught at the scene of an attempted robbery and apprehended using a Taser, but he gave false details and refused to answer questions at interview.

He later claimed he had been using cocaine.

Going through the offences, Mr Mizner said on one occasion Shoubridge pointed the gun at a female employee, shouting: "Where's the money, money, money, money?"

One of his victims, a 20-year-old student working in a bookmakers to raise money for her education, said after the robbery: "I felt genuine terror, fell to the floor crying and screaming, while this man stood above me pointing the gun down at me.

"For the first time in 10 years I had to sleep in bed with my mum. I couldn't understand how someone could do something like this to another person."

She suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, quit her job and had to defer her university place.

She added that she no longer went out with friends, as the robbery had "changed my life completely".

Mitigating, defence barrister Dan Taylor said there was nothing he could say that could diminish the impact of Shoubridge's actions, but said the offences were not professional and often amateurish.

"Until he fell into the drug and gambling habits which are the cause of this offending, he led a successful career as a British motorbike champion," he said.

Shoubridge said in a statement his offending was completely out of character and weighed heavily on his heart.

"I truly hope one day in the future my victims can understand I'm not a career criminal but a lost soul battling gambling debts, leading to the biggest mistakes of my life," he said.

Judge Michael Roques said: "It is an extraordinary list of offences for someone who has never been before the court before… I cannot describe this as an aberration or a one-off moment of madness on your behalf.

"To live in fear is a terrible consequence for anybody and it seems to be an entirely predictable consequence of the way you chose to act."

The defendant, who wore a dark blue suit, was supported by 13 friends and family in the gallery and broke into tears when his sentence was passed.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830