A man from Coventry was one of four robbers jailed for the raidThe robbers threatened two members of staff with the weapons before one jumped over the counter and they eventually fled with jewellery worth between £70,000 and £80,000.
Among the gang - who were caught by police just hours later - was 22-year-old Grant Samuel, from Coventry.
Grant, of Milverton Road, Wood End, was yesterday (May 23) jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to robbery at Leicester Crown Court.
His accomplices were also all jailed for nine years for the robbery. They were Aiden Rudock, 18, of Gloster Close, Lutterworth; Orrin Stevenson, 24, of Trent Road, Hinckley; and Timothy Wardrop, 22, of no fixed address.
Stevenson also admitted one count of possession of an imitation firearm. He received a three-year custodial sentence for that offence, which will be served concurrently.
Wardrop was also sentenced to a further 12 months for unrelated matters, which will be served consecutively.
On the morning of January 25, the group went into a jewellers in Market Place, Hinckley, where they threatened two members of staff with machetes and what was believed to be a double-barrelled shotgun.
They stole jewellery worth between £70,000 and £80,000 before making off from the scene – but were found by police just hours later. The double-barrelled shotgun was never recovered.