Two teenage thugs locked up for 11 years
Police patrol tracked down stolen vehicle after home raid
Two teenagers who raided a house and threatened the homeowner before stealing and crashing his car have been locked up for a total of 11 years.
York Crown Court heard Joshua Townsend and Callum Shields, both aged 19 and from Scarborough, targeted a house in the town on April 26.
At around 11.10pm, the Scarborough victim was in bed and heard loud banging on his door.
He got up to investigate and found a man in his lounge and one near the door.
The pair became aggressive towards him, threatening him with a hammer and demanding he hand over money that he didn’t have.
The pair eventually left the property, taking with them the victim’s car keys and stole his car parked outside.
While on patrol in the area, police officers were alerted to the robbery and carried out a search of the area.
They traced the vehicle travelling along the A171 towards Whitby before it came to a stop on the road to Harwood Dale.
On approaching the vehicle, officers found Townsend in the passenger seat and Shields in the driver’s seat.
It was also established that Townsend had previously driven the vehicle before crashing it and causing minor damage.
The pair were arrested and later charged. They both pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to robbery and aggravated vehicle taking on Monday May 21.
Townsend, of Norwood Place, and Shields, of Weaponess Valley Road, were sentenced to six years and five years detention in a young offenders’ institution respectively.
They were also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 each.
Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Vicky Millington of Scarborough Investigation Hub, said: “The defendants have been charged with robbery which is a very serious offence that greatly impacted the victim and left him feeling very distressed.
“Fortunately they pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity which prevented the victim going through the ordeal of court and reliving the trauma.
“Your home should be a place of safety and to be subjected to such a frightening intrusion into your personal life can leave you feeling very vulnerable, leaving a lasting impact on a victim.
“The seriousness of the offence is reflected in the sentence handed out by the court, and I hope this gives the victim some comfort.”
If you are a victim of crime you can get help from Supporting Victims by calling 01609 64300 or visit www. supportingvictims.org