Marcus Piper, 27, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court yesterday. Piper had committed robberies, an attempted robbery and an aggravated burglary over the course of three months in 2020. His arrest followed the robbery of a taxi driver on Colchester Road in Southend on August 22. Another robbery took place on September 5 and an attempted robbery the day after on Palmerston Road in Westcliff. On September 12 he had used a knife to intimidate an employee at Station News, Shoebury, threatening to "cut [his] throat" and stab the victim. He then demanded money from the till and took three packets of cigars from behind the counter.