A former SPL footballer who turned to armed robbery after his career went sour has been jailed for 11 years.
Ohmar Pike, 27, who played for Gretna FC for 18 months before they went into administration in 2008, got involved in raids on betting shops with former England footballer Nathan Ashton, 29.
The pair netted nearly £15,000 in eight raids across London and the South East between May and October 2015.
In one robbery, a cashier “fell to his knees and had a panic attack and begged for his life”, Kingston Crown Court heard.
One of the robbers then put a gun to the back of his head and said: “I’m going to blow your head off, if you don’t open the safe”.
Pike, a dad-of-two, qualified as a satellite engineer, but was made redundant in February last year, and fell into debt.
This led to him turning a friendship with Ashton into a “successful criminal partnership”, robbing Paddy Power, William Hill and Coral betting shops in a five-month spree.
Pike and Ashton, wearing scarves and hoods, targeted the bookies just after they opened in the morning or before closing time when they knew cash would be available, the court heard.
Branches targeted included the Kings Road in Chelsea, Woking, Putney, Isleworth, Hammersmith, Acton, Watford and High Wycombe.
Pike, found guilty by a jury last week, was jailed for 11 years. Ashton, who admitted his role in the raids, was jailed for 15 years.
The former Scottish Premier League player of High Wycombe, Bucks, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to rob but cleared of one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm or imitation firearm.
Judge Susan Tapping said: “These robberies were carefully planned and developed a pattern to them.
“You must have travelled extensively to identify your targets.”
Judge Tapping told Pike: “I have considered your family circumstances. You also had a promising life until last year, and the disintegration of it is very sad, particularly for your children.
“But perhaps you should have thought of them first and not just now.”