Two men have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison after a report of robbery in Stockton earlier this year that ended with them ramming into a police car in a busy residential street.
Craig Roddam, 33, of no fixed address was convicted of robbery and the theft of a Mondeo, while Stephen Swainston, 37, of Bishopton Court in Stockton, was convicted of robbery and admitted dangerous driving at Teesside Crown Court on Monday, October 31.
On April 30 this year, a 26-year-old man was robbed on Wrensfield Road whilst out walking his dog.
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A knife was used to threaten him, and the two men made off with his bag, containing a phone and car keys.
The following day, on May 1, a Ford Mondeo was stolen from a Good Samaritan who had offered Roddam a lift after spotting him pushing another broken down car.
The car was taken on a high-speed pursuit, ending with a head-on collision into a police vehicle on Bishopton Road.
Only minor injuries were suffered by officers inside the vehicle.
Two men have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison after a report of robbery in #Stockton earlier this year.
— Cleveland Police (@ClevelandPolice) November 2, 2022
33y/o Craig Roddam & 37 y/o Stephen Swainston were also involved in a pursuit in a stolen Ford Mondeo.
Read: https://t.co/l0hszaisoI pic.twitter.com/5XVK9PUxCt
Both men made off from the vehicle and were later arrested and charged.
Detective Constable Kev Middleton, from Stockton CID, said: “I am pleased with these sentences and pleased that Swainston and Roddam will now spend a significant time behind bars.
“I’d like to pay tribute to both victims, particularly the first who was threatened and both supported police action and the judicial proceedings afterwards.”
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