The events surrounding the carjacking of a man in Wakefield and the gunpoint confrontation with Darlington shop workers were described in court as a single day of madness. Liz Lamb reports.

Security staff at Morrisons store still bear the scars of the terrifying ordeal that night in May, and probably will for the rest of their lives.

They had spotted William Gatley shoplifting and gave chase, little realising the danger they were about to face as they carried out their job.

Gatley was not about to go quietly. He hurled the four cans of cider he had stolen at the staff while they gave pursuit and when he was eventually apprehended he was confrontational and at one point flung himself to the ground, refusing to move.

The court heard how it was a ruse to buy more time after he had spotted Shaun Sidgwick driving towards them in the stolen Fiesta.

The store detectives were unprepared for the convicted robber's next move.

After shouting at them to let his friend go, he walked over to the car and produced a gun, which he pointed at them.

The staff were terrified and fled, shouting to each other to run.

In court, a victim statement prepared by one of the Morrisons workers, described the terrifying moment Sidgwick brandished a gun at him.

It said: "I was terrified. My heart was racing. I thought I was going to be shot and killed."

The defendants fled the scene and laid low for days, living in a tent near Middlesbrough Transporter bridge.

But their reign of terror did not end there.

Five days after the car-jacking and the Morrisons ordeal, Sidgwick, the more experienced criminal of the gang, enlisted Mark Gamble to steal a car from a young woman.

The 21-year-old, who had gone to her car to collect her sandwiches for lunch, was confronted by the pair, who appeared out of nowhere.

They put the gun to her forehead and demanded the keys to her Renault Megane car.

The robbers became frustrated because it operated using a key card and they could not understand how to start the vehicle. They demanded cash from her, but their petrified victim said she did not have her purse with her.

All the time, they kept the weapon firmly pointed at her face.

One of the men grabbed her carrier bag containing her lunch and threw it back at her, before speeding off, giving her strict instructions not to move from her position.

Christine Egerton, prosecuting, told the court: "All the time the gun was pointing at her. She was ordered to turn around, not to look in their direction and to stay there for five minutes.

"She was frozen with fear and did what she was told."

After she heard the vehicle leave the car park, the woman, who was deeply traumatised, ran to her office and called the police.

The ordeal was equally as terrifying for the young man in Wakefield, who believed his life was in danger.

Ms Egerton said: "Mr Hatfield was extremely afraid. He was shocked and frightened."

Judge Michael Taylor said it must have been deeply distressing for the victim who had originally gone to help the men after they crashed their car close to his workplace.

He said: "A young man comes to your assistance and inquires after your welfare. Following that you go to his car and he is subjected to terrifying intimidation and what he thought to be life-threatening conduct.

"He was truly terrified."

Dan Cordey, for Gamble, said it had been a single day of madness, but he was deeply ashamed by his actions.

The defence for Sidgwick asked Judge Taylor not to hand him a life term because it had not been a real gun and he had wanted to cause fear, not violence.

Adrian Dent, acting for Gatley, said he was remorseful about his conduct and he wanted to apologise to Mr Hatfield for the distress he had caused him.

Police from West Yorkshire and Durham constabularies were praised for their investigation, which had 15 officers working on the case.

Judge Taylor said: "Three dangerous men are off the streets for a long time. This was a thorough investigation."