A 23-year-old man who went on a crime “rampage” has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Sheldon Green, of Hackney, was sentenced this afternoon at the Old Bailey on nine charges, three of which were for robbery.

The court heard that he went on the crime spree, which began in July last year, to repay a debt to a drug gang.

After stealing a motorbike advertised on community forum website Gumtree, Green used it to commit the offences.

On September 14 at about 8pm, Green entered Maybank Minimarket, Maybank Road, Woodford Green.

Prosecutor Mr Dickens said the owner was getting ready to close the shop when he saw Green approaching and assumed he was a customer.

“He man came into the shop wearing a black crash helmet,” Mr Dickens said. “He took out a small pistol from his pocket, he put a purple cotton bag on to the counter and threw it towards the owner.”

The terrified shopkeeper proceeded to put £200 into the bag before Green rode off on the motorbike he left outside the shop.

Green also admitted attempting to rob Hainault Food and Wine, Hainault Road, Hainault on September 17 last year.

That same evening he went on to commit an armed robbery in Leyton and another at Co-operative supermarket in south London.

During mitigation Mr Woods, defending Green, said: “He went on a rampage or a spree which he explained to police was due to his past catching up with him.

“In May last year the individual that he was in debt to call in the debt. That was the trigger for all of his offending last year.”

Sentencing, Judge Singh said: “You are and were a complete menace to members of the public. Your offending was half-hearted as there was no actual violence used.”

As well as the three robbery charges, Green was also sentenced on three counts of possessing an imitation firearm; one count of theft; one count of attempted robbery and one count of handling stolen goods.