Michael Youssefi, 42, of Seven Acre Close in St Leonards, first robbed Day Lewis Pharmacy on May 9, 2022.
He went into the chemist in Mount Pleasant Road, Hastings with his face covered and threatened a pharmacist with a large kitchen knife.
He told her to give him Oxycontin and in response to the threat of violence, he was handed the controlled drug and quickly left.
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Officers then attended the scene and found blood, which was sent off for forensic testing.
Three days later, on May 12, Youssefi was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery after his description matched witness accounts.
He denied involvement and was bailed while other enquiries continued.
Youssefi was then charged with robbery and possession of a knife in a public place on February 28 after the blood left at the scene was linked to him and all other enquiries had been completed.
On April 24 at Lewes Crown Court Youssefi pleaded guilty to the offences. He was then bailed from court to wait for sentencing.
While on bail, Youssefi committed a robbery and an attempted robbery on April 27.
The first took place at around 9am when he entered Boots in Eastbourne Road, Pevensey, and forced his way into the dispensing area while armed with a knife.
He was unable to find what he wanted and ran from the premises after a witness intervened.
Later that day, at around 4.30pm, Youssefi entered Kamsons Pharmacy in Victoria drive, Eastbourne, and demanded Oxycodone.
Staff initially refused the demand however Youssefi threatened them.
He was then given a box of the tablets and left the pharmacy.
Despite being masked during the robberies, Youssefi was linked to the crimes and attempts were made to arrest him.
On April 28 Youssefi was arrested in his car in Hastings and taken to custody.
In his car, blister packs of Oxycodone were found which matched the items that were stolen the previous day from Kamsons Pharmacy.
The next day, Sussex Police charged Youssefi with robbery, attempted robbery, and possession of a knife in a public place.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on April 30 Youssefi was remanded into custody to await his next hearing.
He then pleaded guilty to the charges on June 18 at Lewes Crown Court and has been sentenced at Hastings Crown Court to 12 years imprisonment.
Detective Constable Chris Perry said: “Youssefi has been sent to prison for over a decade following three brazen incidents at pharmacies in Eastbourne, Pevensey and Hastings, all in broad daylight.
“The sentence reflects the severity of his crimes, and we hope this gives a strong message to those who may be considering following in his footsteps.”
Detective Constable Marcus Cox said: “The victims were left understandably shaken by these incidents, and we hope now that Youssefi has been sentenced, they can begin to put this behind them.
“We would like to thank those who assisted police enquiries during the course of this investigation, as the accounts provided were crucial in helping us to secure the sentencing result.”
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