A man who carried out armed robberies on fast food outlets in Barnet and Brent last year along with his brother has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. 

The court heard how Marco Madeo, 20, and his brother Mario entered a fast food outlet in High Road, Willesden on Monday May 25 around 11pm.

Upon entering Mario Madeo quickly jumped over the counter and threatened a member of staff with a handgun. Both men then raided money from the till and made off along Park Avenue.

Firearms officers were called and searched the area. At 11.50pm, officers noticed two men matching the description walking along Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood.

They were seen to enter a fast food outlet where they carried out a second armed robbery. When Mario Madeo tried to exit the door he was detained by officers. He was wearing a balaclava and was in possession of a gas-powered handgun and stolen cash.

The other man, later identified as Marco Madeo, managed to escape from officers from the rear of the building. He was arrested on May 27 2015 and released on bail. Madeo was charged on March 29 with these offences.

Further enquiries linked Marco Madeo to four incidents involving minicab drivers between January and March 2015. These were investigated separately and Madeo pleaded guilty to all four offences at a separate trial at Harrow Crown Court on October 10 2016.

On October 28, Marco Madeo, of no fixed abode, was found guilty at Harrow Crown Court of two counts of robbery, two counts of possessing an imitation firearm whilst committing robbery and one count of possession of an offensive weapon. 

On December 2 at the same court he was jailed for a total of eight years for all the offences. 

Detective Constable Adrian Whitewick, who led the investigation by the Flying Squad, said: "Marco Madeo is a dangerous individual who used the threat of violence to intimidate his victims to carry out his attacks.

"Thanks to the dedicated detective work of the Flying Squad and officers from Wembley, Madeo and his brother are now serving lengthy sentences behind bars." 

His brother, Mario Madeo, also 20, of Willoughby Lane, Tottenham, had been sentenced last year for his part in the fast food outlet robberies.

He was jailed for seven years at Harrow Crown Court on Thursday October 8 after he pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and two counts of possessing an imitation firearm whilst committing robbery.