A man who dressed up as Elvis Presley to target betting shops has been jailed for life after being found guilty of a series of robberies carried out whilst wearing weird disguises.
Martin Reilly, 53, used wigs, hats, false beards, moustaches and a fright mask to hide distinctive scarring on his cheeks during hold-ups.
Judge Paul Tain told Reilly that he would serve a minimum of 12 years for the armed robberies, which left his victims "immensely frightened".
Some of the disguises used by Reilly
He told Reilly his guilty pleas to seven armed robberies, one attempted armed robbery and seven counts of possession of a firearm at Lewes Crown Court in January this year had saved his vulnerable victims from having to attend court to "recite the information they are no doubt reliving in their post-traumatic stress disorder state".
"frightening" robberies
Reilly carried out the raids between 13 June and 10 October last year after falling out with his probation officer who had told him he could not move back to Ireland where his family lives.
Prosecutor Amanda Kelly said many of his victims were still suffering from anxiety as a result of the armed robberies.
She said: "Although none of the victims of these robberies suffered any physical injury, all of them suffered mental anguish and some of them are still suffering the psychological effects today.
"Several of them report ongoing anxiety and sleep difficulties as a result of these offences and virtually all of them say that their daily working lives have been gravely affected by what they experienced."