Knife carrying robber jailed after stealing bag of cash from casino

A masked robber was snared by police within minutes of plundering stacks of cash from a city centre casino.

Robin Simandi-Curtis armed himself with a knife before making his way inside Grosvenor Casino, in Maid Marian Way, Nottingham.

The balaclava-wearing thief then charged across the casino floor and jumped up onto the cash desk while wielding the weapon in his hand.

At that point, Simandi-Curtis forced a cashier at knifepoint to fill a swag bag he’d been carrying with cash – cutting her hand in the process.

The 27-year-old then sprinted out of the casino with around £35,000 of cash in his possession.

Within minutes of the robbery on 8 March 2023, reports of the incident were radioed across the police airwaves by force control.

Hearing this, an officer immediately spotted a man wearing a balaclava across the city centre near The Cornerhouse and gave chase.

The masked man would turn out to be Simandi-Curtis, who didn’t get far before he was caught and detained in South Sherwood Street.

Police then quickly discovered the bag full of cash he’d taken, before also retrieving the knife that had been used in the robbery.

Having pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and possession of a knife in a public place, Simandi-Curtis appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (6 July).

Simandi-Curtis, of Sherwin Walk, St Ann’s, was jailed for five years and four months.

Police Constable Imran Ahmed, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Simandi-Curtis’ actions that day put the cashier he held up at knifepoint through what I’m sure must’ve been a very scary ordeal.

“Arming himself with a knife in the way he did during this robbery put everyone around him in very real danger of harm, which is completely unacceptable.

“While he may have managed to escape from the casino he targeted, he ultimately failed in his plot to steal money that didn’t belong to him.

“Thanks to the alertness of our officers, Simandi-Curtis didn’t get far at all before he was caught and soon found himself in a police cell.

“I hope the rapid response shown to this incident provides some reassurance to the public just how seriously we take reports of robbery and other violent crimes of this nature.”