Richard Webster and Sean Brown jailed for robbery in York

Richard William George Webster, 30, and Sean Eoin Brown, 33, were part of a group of three that had been out drinking in York city centre, said Austin Newman, prosecuting at York Crown Court.

When they tried to buy alcohol from the Spar shop in Bridge Street at 2.30am on February 7, 2022 their card was declined and they looked around for someone to buy it for them.

They surrounded a man who was approaching the open-all-hours convenience store and hassled him with threats of violence, rape and death until he submitted to their demands to buy alcohol for them.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told the robbers: “These courts will protect people from roving villains - that is what you were. It was villainy. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated." The victim had only been going about his “lawful business” when they robbed him.

Their actions deterred “ordinary decent people” from going out at night and left the centre to those who wanted violence or were not afraid of it, the judge said. Head door supervisor Webster, of Fourth Avenue, Tang Hall, was jailed for 15 months, and Brown, of Rowena Close, Derby, for 13 months. Both pleaded guilty to robbery.

The Spar shop in Bridge Street now a Londis shop (Image: Google Street View)

Callum Brown, 27, of Lock House Lane, Earswick, also pleaded guilty to robbery. He will be sentenced next month for that and an assault committed in Manchester. He was remanded in custody.

Mr Newman said when all three defendants went to the shop, a single employee was on duty, selling goods through a window.

They tried to buy some spirits and soft drinks but the card they used was declined and they didn’t present any other means of payment.

Robber Sean Brown made a death threat (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

When they saw the victim, Sean Brown claimed he owed him money, initially £40, then £50, then £12. The victim denied that he owed Sean Brown any money.

Sean Brown then told him: “I am going to kill you, break your jaw.”

“One of the males, Webster was thrusting at him from behind saying he was going to rape him,” said Mr Newman.

Richard Webster threatened to rape a man (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

The victim was eventually intimidated into paying for items for the three robbers with a total price of £37.77. As soon as they walked off with the items, the shop assistant let the victim into the shop where he phoned police. All three were identified from CCTV and arrested shortly afterwards.

Zarreen Alam-Cheetham, for Sean Brown, said he was addicted to alcohol and suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome after he was hit on the back of his head with a hammer when he was 18. He had left school without qualifications but had worked until 2020 in customer service. He wanted to tackle his alcoholism.

Webster told the court he was drunk at the time of the robbery.

His barrister Ian Hudson said it was ironic that he was in the dock for the kind of behaviour he spent his working hours trying to prevent or dealing with.

Although he had previous convictions for violence the robbery was his first conviction since 2017 apart from one for being drunk and disorderly.

He had tried to give the victim £20 after the robbery, said Mr Hudson.