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38 years jail for gang

Chris Osuh
8/ 4/2008

MEMBERS of a teenage street gang have been locked up for a total of 38 years after being convicted of a string of violent robberies.

The nine - who called themselves the Levenshulme Man Dem - targeted betting shops and post offices across south and east Manchester.

In a crime spree that lasted from March to July last year, they also beat up and robbed women in the street and carjacked motorists.

Believing they were invincible, they made a crude video celebrating their lifestyle on internet website YouTube - featuring two young children labelled as `thugz to come'.

But last September, four of their number were arrested in dawn raids. Yesterday, seven of the gang were jailed at Minshull Street Crown Court. The other two await sentencing.

Brett Penty, 19, of Rowarth Road, Newall Green, Lee Czornyj, 19, of Pennington Street, Levenshulme, and Reece Williams, also 19, of Linwood Grove, Levenshulme, have all been convicted of armed robbery after holding up the Panbet Bookmakers in Denton last July. Penty got three years and Williams four. Czornyj's sentencing has been adjourned.

Liam Domville, 19, of St Oswalds Road, Levenshulme, admitted the same offence, as well as a carjacking in Reddish, and an attempted robbery at Ladbrokes in Withington on the same day. He also admitted another attempted robbery at a post office in Reddish, and a robbery at Ladybarn News Post Office. He was given seven-and-half years.

Andrew Brown, 20, of Caremine Avenue, Levenshulme, pleaded guilty to involvement in the Ladybarn News Post Office robbery.

He was also convicted of a robbery at the Galleon Hotel, Didsbury, last May. Sentencing was adjourned until a later date.

Donald Davidson, 18, of Hornbeam Road, Gorton, admitted taking part in both the Ladybarn and the Reddish post office robberies. He also pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at a house and two street robberies in Hazel Grove last March. He was sentenced to seven years.

Curtis Lorenzo Ward, 18, of Borwell Street in Gorton pleaded guilty to a car jacking on Lapwing Lane, Didsbury, in March, and taking part in the two post office robberies and the Hazel Grove house and street robberies. He got seven-and-a-half years.

Kevin Boyle, 19, of Stuart Road, Stretford, pleaded guilty to assisting Davidson and Ward in the two Hazel Grove robberies and was given three-and-a-half years.

Curtis Byrne, 16, of Barlow Road, Levenshulme, was allowed to be named and shamed after he pleaded guilty to taking part in both the post office robberies and the Galleon Hotel robbery. He will serve five-and-a-half years.

Det Insp Derrick Spencer said: "The incidents were often terrifying, and have had huge impact on the victims emotionally as well as financially. The sheer scale of violence and threats used has left some of them scarred for life."

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