THE getaway driver of a gang who attempted to raid a jewellers in Taunton has been jailed.

Louis Kelly, 36, from Belgrave Gardens, London, was part of a masked gang of five men, who smashed their way into Michael Spiers on March 2.

The London gang had all driven down to Taunton to carry out their raid, before leading police on an 80-mile high speed chase.

They then unsuccessfully tried to smash open a display cabinet of Rolex watches with claw hammers and the sledgehammer before escaping with five Tag Heuer watches valued at £13,200.

They ran off after the manager told them to leave when they terrified two female assistants and a worker from the shop next door confronted them.

The five men made off in a Mini they had stolen in London two days before the attack in March before swapping it for another stolen car, a BMW.

Police chased them up the M5 and along the M4 as far as Swindon before the crooks smashed into two other cars.

Somerset County Gazette:

The gang led police on an 80-mile high-speed car chase 

Two of the robbers were unable to get out of the BMW due to injuries, but the other three ran off before being caught by police with dogs.

The other four raiders were previously jailed at Taunton Crown Court for a total of 23 years in May.

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Reece Francis, 24, of Abbot Road, Poplar, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Charles Johnstone, 27, of no fixed address, Steven Shields, 32, of North West London, and Christopher Gibbs, 33, of Paddington, were jailed for six years as they were already on licence from a previous jail term.

Kelly had been unable to appear in court for sentencing until now, as he had been receiving treatment in hospital. 

But on Wednesday, July 20, Kelly was sentenced to five years for robbery by Recorder Peter Towler.

Kelly was also ordered to pay a £120 in victim surcharge.