Machete-wielding men convicted after 'extremely violent' robbery of cash van driver outside Rugby's Lidl supermarket

Three men machete-wielding men have been convicted of the robbery of a cash-in-transit van driver outside Rugby's Lidl supermarket on Bilton Road.

Kevin Mullen, aged 38 of Edward Street, Nuneaton, Daniel Jordan, aged 43 of Spruce Road, Nuneaton, and Aaron Liburd, aged 42 of Prior Park Road, Rugby, all pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday, May 18.

At around 3.40pm on April 9, 2019, the driver of a cash-in-transit van was threatened with a machete and before being attacked outside Lidl.

The attack caused the driver to lose hold of his cash - which the suspects then stowed in their getaway car.

Shortly after they made off a security dye system in with the cash exploded - covering the money in the dye.

The men then abandoned their car on Farnborough Avenue and left the scene.

Liburd was arrested on 12 April 2021 for the offence.

Then, at around 5am on 6 May 2019, a robbery took place at Tesco in Skegness.

This was later established to have been committed by Mullen and Jordan while on the run from the Rugby robbery.

Mullen was arrested on May 10 2019, and Jordan was arrested on May 18 2019 in Fenny Drayton.

He tried to make off from police in a vehicle during the arrest, and was subsequently also charged with dangerous driving.

On Tuesday, they pleaded guilty to the following offences:

• Aaron Liburd: robbery outside Lidl, Rugby on 9 April 2019.

• Kevin Mullen: robbery outside Lidl, Rugby on 9 April 2019, robbery at Tesco Express, Skegness on 6 May 2019

• Daniel Jordan: robbery outside Lidl, Rugby on 9 April 2019, robbery at Tesco Express, Skegness on 6 May 2019, dangerous driving in relation to the pursuit on 18 May 2019.

Investigating officer, Det Insp Collette O’Keefe from Leamington CID, said: “This was a significant investigation which involved a dedicated team working on it for two years.

“On the day of the Rugby robbery, these men showed extreme violence, using machetes in broad daylight outside of a supermarket.

"This was a pre-planned job and resulted in members of staff being understandably frightened, as well as the loss of a significant amount of cash.

“I’d like to thank the investigating team for their tireless dedication, to enable this case to come to a successful conclusion.”

All three men have been remanded and will be sentenced Warwick Crown Court on Friday, June 18.