Judge branded Gilling a "professional criminal"

The 42-year-old was found guilty by a jury at Swindon Crown Court of conspiracy to rob and burgle post offices and the armed robbery of the Gardiner Houlgate auction house near Corsham.

Gilling and another man were armed with sawn-off shotguns when they raided the auctioneers on July 19, 2005.

The two men were waiting inside the premises on the Leafield industrial estate when staff turned up for work on the Tuesday morning.

Porter Stephen Fuller and receptionist Lesley Hansford were confronted by the raiders, one in a balaclava and the other a clown mask, shortly before 8am.

They were tied and gagged after Mr Fuller was forced at gunpoint to take the robbers to safes loaded with jewels and cash.

The men then made off with the haul, worth about £330,000, in Mr Fuller's car, which was later found dumped outside Neston village hall.

That offence came eight months after Gerald Burrell, Gilling's earlier partner in crime, had been arrested for robbing the Woodrow Road post office in Melksham.

That raid in November 2004 was the last in a series of eleven robberies and burglaries over 18 months at post offices in west Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset which netted about £200,000.

Burrell was serving an eight-year sentence for the Woodrow Road offence when he and Gilling were charged with the conspiracy offences.

Both denied the allegations but Burrell pleaded guilty on the morning of the trial and was sentenced to a further three years, leaving Gilling to fight the allegations alone.

Evidence from a covert listening device which had been fitted to Gilling's flat in Chantry Gardens, Southwick, was heard by the jury.

In it he told his cousin Donald Morris, who was on the run from police in London, about the offences he had committed including details only the offender could know.

At trial he told the jury that he had heard about the offences and may even have known who carried them out, but was boasting to his cousin pretending he had done them.

Phone evidence also linked him to Burrell, who he referred to as an "acquaintance", and he appeared to be living beyond his means as a labourer and car dealer.

He also claimed he had an alibi for the Gardiner Houlgate offence, insisting he was at a garage in Trowbridge that morning.

But the jury did not believe him and he was convicted of that robbery and the conspiracy offences though they did acquit him of taking part in the Woodrow Road robbery.

After returning their verdicts the jury heard Gilling had a history of crime including burglary, wounding and supplying drugs.

Jailing him, Judge John McNaught said: "I have to sentence you for a whole spate of robberies and burglaries.

"You have clearly lived your life as a professional criminal. Having heard what you said to Morris, despite all that, you brazened it out before a jury.

"It is unique in my experience hearing someone on tape admitting what they have done."

Speaking of the Gardiner Houlgate offence he said: "I have read the impact statements of the people involved in that.

"They have been traumatised. I have read other statements of other people traumatised in the post offices."

The judge also thanked the jury, telling them it was the longest and most serious case he had heard at Swindon Crown Court in 20 years sitting there.

He also commended the police team which investigated the series of offences and brought the perpetrators to justice.

"This professional criminality plagued the county for a number of years. Your skilful team brought it to an end and the two responsible are behind bars."

Gilling, known as Billy, who has addresses at Chantry Gardens, Southwick; Ivy Cottage, Hoopers Pool, Southwick and Nightingale Drive, Westbury, had denied conspiracy to rob and conspiracy burgle and two counts of robbery.

He admitted handling a stolen watch.

Burrell, 37, of Langford Road, Trowbridge, had three years added to an eight year jail term for robbery after he admitted conspiracy to rob and burgle.