Short answers, pulled from the story.
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. Under common law it is defined as a larceny or theft accomplished by an assault, differentiating it from other forms of theft by its inherently violent nature.
Robbery requires the use of force or the threat of force against a person at the time of taking property; theft does not. Many lesser forms of theft are punished as misdemeanors, whereas robbery is always classified as a felony in jurisdictions that distinguish between the two.
Types include armed robbery, aggravated robbery, highway robbery (mugging), and carjacking. Criminal slang terms include "blagging" for armed bank robbery, "stickup" from the command to raise one's hands, and "steaming" for organised robbery, originally referring to robbery of trains.
The maximum sentence for robbery in England and Wales is life imprisonment. Current sentencing guidelines advise that sentences should not exceed 20 years even for high-harm, high-culpability cases with aggravating factors, and starting-point sentences range from 1 year to 16 years depending on the category of offence.
In Canada, using a restricted or prohibited firearm during a robbery carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for a first offence and seven years for subsequent offences, under the Criminal Code.
Under English law, force applied after a theft is complete does not convert the theft into robbery. California takes the opposite approach: under Penal Code section 213, force used after the theft still constitutes robbery unless the perpetrator has already reached a place of temporary safety with the property.