A BRAINTREE man has been charged in connection with five knifepoint robberies at various shops across Essex and Suffolk. 

Daniele Aldegheri, 49, of Bocking End, Braintree, has been charged with five counts of robbery and three counts of possessing a knife in a public place and is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday September 5).

Braintree CID has been probing five knifepoint robberies at various shops, carried out between January and August this year. 

Their investigation focused on incidents in Silver End, Braintree, Hatfield Peverel, Witham and Ipswich. 

On each occasion, the suspect wearing a mask or balaclava entered a store and demanded money from the till, armed either with a knife or a screwdriver. 

On the last occasion, at a Morrisons Daily, in Witham, a three-figure sum of cash was stolen after staff were threatened. 

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston said: “We’ve taken each report very seriously.”