Man jailed for robbery at knifepoint after losing appeal
AN autistic Northolt man who walked free from court after he tried to rob a taxi driver at knifepoint has been locked up by top judges after an appeal.
Alexander Bell has a “borderline learning disability and an autistic spectrum disorder,” London’s Appeal Court heard on Tuesday.
He left cabbie, Ravi Kumar, “frightened and scared” after holding the blade of a multi-tool towards his neck and demanding, “give me all your money.”
Bell, who also committed a number of shoplifting offences in Uxbridge , later told police he was “threatened by another person to carry out the robbery”.
The 28-year-old, of Towney Mead, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, and one of attempted robbery, at Isleworth Crown Court.
He was spared jail when he was handed a two-year suspended sentence in March.
That sentence was slammed as “unduly lenient” by the Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC, who referred the case for top judges to look at again.
Lord Justice Simon agreed Bell’s punishment was too soft, hitting him with an immediate jail term of two years and 10 months.
In July last year, after booking a cab in a false name, Bell threatened Mr Kumar with a multi-tool blade.
He then chased the cabbie as he tried to escape following a struggle in his cab.
Bell was on bail for several shop thefts at the time, but prosecutors accepted that he had been threatened by someone else to stage the robbery.
Pleading with the court not to jail him, his lawyers pointed to his “severe autism” and described his case as “exceptional”.
But lawyers for the Attorney General argued: “Clemency is not always to be criticised, but this case was not wholly exceptional.”
Lord Justice Simon said: “The mental disorder or learning disability made him vulnerable to unscrupulous individuals seeking to exploit his vulnerability.
“The basis of his guilty plea, which was accepted, was that he had indeed been threatened and told to commit the robbery.”
The judge added: “The fact is that, despite his learning difficulties, there is no excuse for trying to rob somebody with a knife.
“The offence was committed while this offender was on police bail. “The offence took place at night. “The victim was a taxi driver providing a public service and the robbery must have been planned.
“The attempt to complete the offence did not justify getting out of the car and pursuing the victim as he did.
“In our view, the sentence of two years was unduly lenient and was outside the range that could be reasonably considered appropriate.”
Lord Justice Simon, who was sitting with two other judges, concluded: “We quash the sentence and substitute a sentence of two years 10 months immediate imprisonment.”