A mother collapsed in the dock at York Crown Court and had to be taken to hospital after she saw her 13-year-old armed robber son locked up for 18 months.

Sitting beside her son in the dock because he was so young, she listened as prosecuting barrister Peter Moulson described the York post office raid in which her son disguised himself with a balaclava and grabbed money from three terrified women.

She collapsed when he was led down to the cells after sentencing. With the schoolboy was 19- year-old Guy Anthony Price, who masterminded the Guy Fawkes Night robbery on Holgate Road Post Office.

None of the £2,863 haul has been discovered, York Crown Court heard.

But cyclist and hospital employee William Lininsh gave chase as the pair fled the post office, saw them change clothing and gave their description to police. He was praised in court and given a £250 reward.

Both raiders were caught shortly afterwards near the River Ouse.

Sentencing, Judge Jacqueline Davies told them: "You have brought shame and disgrace upon your families. Albeit you are both only young, one can only begin to imagine the terror that they (the post office staff) felt when they saw you walk in with your faces covered, shouting the things that were shouted and most significant, showing the gun that you had with you. It may not have been real, but it was a good imitation."

She sentenced Price, formerly of Water Lane, Clifton, to five years in a young offenders institution and the 13-year-old, also from York, to 18 months' detention. Both had pleaded guilty to robbery.

Mr Moulson said the pair had planned the raid and reconnoitred the post office during the day. The boy had grabbed money from the counter while Price shouted: "Everyone get down, this is a robbery."

For the boy, Nicholas Barker said that in the past his father had not lived with the family for a long period. The schoolboy had only expected to get £20 from the raid to help buy a computer game.

For Price, David Bradshaw said he had wrongly thought he was mature enough to live independently. When things got bad he had retreated into fantasies. But the raid was real life.

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