Man assaulted fast food worker before stealing an electric bike
A drunken man assaulted a Sunderland McDonald’s worker by pulling down his face mask and pinching his nose - before stealing an electric bike worth £1,200.
Peter Todd, 37, of Milburn Street, Millfield, Sunderland, slipped behind the counter of the fast food giant’s Roker Retail Park outlet and demanded to “take what I’m owed” while sozzled, a court heard.
He scrunched up food before pulling down an employee’s face mask – and grabbing his nose and squeezing.
The court heard that the McDonald’s worker was packing a food parcel at the time of the incident.
After offering him outside to fight, he fled on a £1,200 electric bike owned by a tired Uber worker taking a breather.
Jobless Todd has now been ordered to fork out for the unreturned cycle and pay the McDonald’s employee £50 compensation.
His solicitor, Gerry Armstrong, told magistrates in South Tyneside: “He has a limited recollection about it, he has unreservedly apologised.
“There has been a history of issues in respect of drug misuse and latterly alcohol misuse, and clearly it is alcohol that causes this.
“What’s clear is that since then it’s been almost on a St Paul on the road to Damascus epiphany.
“At Christmas he said that he and alcohol are not good bedfellows, and he’s stopped
drinking. He had trouble in the first few days without alcohol, but he persisted, and now drinks lemonade. The effect after a period is that he has put on three-stone in weight.” Prosecutor Anne Mitchell said the employee was packing a food parcel when Todd struck on Monday, November 2.
“The defendant pulled the victim’s face mask, pinched his nose and invited him to fight with him.
“Once outside, he took a motorised bike belonging to a Uber delivery driver. It’s £1,200 and it wasn’t recovered.”
Magistrates told Todd, who pleaded guilty to assault by beating and theft, it was to his credit he had binned booze.
They handed him an 18-month community order, with requirement of 25 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service and a fourmonth alcohol treatment programme.