Two experienced robbers who showed no remorse after committing a vicious £45k cash-in-transit robbery have been jailed.

Terrance Clark, 50, and his son Lewis Clark, 27, of Thessaly Road, Battersea, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with criminal intent at Guildford Crown Court last month.

Victim James Smith, a cash-in-transit worker, was violently pistol-whipped during the incident, leaving his helmet full of blood and fragments of teeth on his clothes.

On January 30, the pair travelled to Tattenham Corner, near Epsom Downs Racecourse, with the sole intention of committing armed robbery outside a Co-op store in Tattenham Crescent.

Mr Smith, who spent 24 years in the army, told the court that a gunman pointed a pistol at his chest and pulled the trigger. 

It did not fire and he was badly beaten with the gun.

He said: "As a cash-delivery driver I had received extensive training from the company around what to do in the event of a robbery but the events of that day happened so quickly I was unable to act.

"It was surreal and no amount of training could prepare you for that experience.

"It is unbelievable how quickly your life can change, they little things you once took for granted are taken away from you at no fault of your own.

"You never think anything like this will happen to you, but it can happen to anyone, and I would strongly encourage anyone who has either been a victim or witness of a crime to seek the necessary help and advice which is available to allow you to come to terms with your ordeal."

During the trial, mobile phone analysis was presented to the jury and it was revealed that Lewis Clark used YouTube to search for videos on how to commit a cash-in-transit robbery.

The gunman knocked out Mr Smith's front teeth and badly injured his face and hands.

He needed bone grafts and implants, still needs dental treatment and has not worn his wedding ring since it was removed due to swelling.

Wandsworth Times:

Today, Terrance Clark was sentenced to life for robbery and eight years for the firearms offence. 

He will serve a minimum of eight years and six months before becoming eligible for parole.

Lewis Clark was sentenced to 16 years for robbery and eight years for the firearms offence.

Both have previous convictions for violent offences including cash-in-transit robberies.

In the weeks following the attack, Lewis Clark was seen spending cash, predominately £20 notes in designer shops. 

He claimed he had made the money he spent from dealing cannabis and amateur boxing. 

Terrance Clark also splashed the cash, with planned housing renovations, including a new £5,000 kitchen.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Rymarz, of Surrey Police, said: "The sentence passed today demonstrates how dangerous and violent these individuals are and I am pleased they are now off the streets of Surrey for a long time."

Jaswant Narwal, Crown Prosecution Service south east chief crown prosecutor, said: "This was an appalling crime with the victim left with serious injuries following the robbery.

"The evidence showed that the defendants carefully planned this raid, with the motive appearing to be sheer greed.

"Both men were only interested in the money and neither has shown any remorse for the injuries they inflicted on the driver in the course of his job.

"They have shown a complete disregard for their victim and made him go through the ordeal of having to give evidence at their trial."

At 10.20am on the day of the robbery, a stolen Chevrolet was seen circling the shops. 

At 10.31am, a gunman attacker Mr Smith, grabbed the cash box and fled the scene.

About an hour later the Chevrolet was found in North View Crescent. Terrance Clark was arrested within hours of the robbery and his son was arrested six days later.

The pair remained on police bail for nine months during an "extensive and thorough investigation" by police officers and staff from CID. 

It included CCTV, financial investigations, automatic number plate recognition, Automated Number Plate Recognition, mobile telephone analysis and a number of warrants were also executed.

The court heard how the pair had planned their attack in great detail including stealing the Chevrolet Captiva from Streathbourne Road, Wandsworth, in July 2012.

A car belonging to Terrance Clark was traced in the vicinity of Tattenham Corner in the months before the robbery and was seen more frequently in the days leading up to the incident, and on the morning itself.

Police said they spent nine month putting together the case against the pair and a month on from the robbery, they carried out what is believed to be the world's first reconstruction of a crime on Twitter. 

It reached more than 53,000 Twitter users.