Robber who dropped cellphone will return to court for sentencing

A St. Catharines man who held his cellphone inside his hoodie in attempt to make store clerks believe he had a gun has pleaded guilty to a string of convenience store robberies, including two robberies at the same store. Ultimately, the phone proved to be Thomas York’s undoing because police were able to identify him after recovering the device after he dropped it when a store employee went at him with a baseball bat.

York, 45, pleaded guilty Friday in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines to several charges of robbery.

He will return to court Jan. 30 for sentencing.

On Aug. 5, court was told, York entered Big Bee Convenience on Lake Street and demanded cash from the lone clerk. York held his cellphone inside his hoodie, to give the illusion he was brandishing a weapon.

As he handed over some cash, the clerk was able to activate a silent alarm to alert police and then picked up a wooden bat and jumped over the counter and chased York out of the store. York dropped his phone as he ran from the business.

Police were able to identify York after searching through his phone.

The investigation also linked the defendant to a series of unsolved robberies at area stores. One robbery took place June 15 at the same Big Bee Convenience store York targeted in August.