Three young criminals were always likely to be brought to book after committing an armed robbery of a takeaway delivery driver, a court was told.

Thomas Price, Jack Oughton and Callum Laver took part in the attack, in which a hammer and car jack were used, having confronted him following a delivery.

They then commandeered his BMW vehicle, which was later crashed through fencing after a short police chase.

Durham Crown Court heard that the victim of the robbery knew one of his attackers, Laver, recognising him as a customer at the takeaway, where his partner had also worked for a while.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

All three were arrested later on the evening of the offence, in Spennymoor on Monday, May 6, after not only the BMW was crashed, but also another car they had used prior to the robbery.

The trio are now starting lengthy sentences behind bars, after admitting offences arising from the ill-perceived offence.

Price, 21, of St Phillips Park, Coundon Grange, Oughton, 25, of Wordsworth Road, Chilton, and 19-year-old Laver, of Salvin Street, Spennymoor, each admitted robbery and aggravated vehicle taking.

Both Price and Laver also admitted possessing an offensive weapon, the car jack and hammer.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said the driver worked for Ali’s Takeaway, on Central Drive, Spennymoor, and used his own BMW 1 Series car to deliver a garlic sauce pot to an address in Princess Court, Spennymoor, at about 8.30 that evening.

He noticed a silver Ford Focus hatchback pulled up behind his vehicle.

Having made his delivery he saw two males getting out of the Focus, which was then driven away down the street.

Miss Wright said the pair who emerged from the car approached him and blocked his path back to his own vehicle.

He immediately recognised Laver as one of pair and acknowledged him, saying: “Is that you, Callum?”.

Laver, whose partner had previously worked at the takeaway, responded, saying, “yeh”.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

The delivery man noticed Laver had some form of weapon down the side of his trousers, with the handle protruding at the top, while his companion, later confirmed as Price, appeared to have something heavy-looking, in a shopping bag.

They asked him for food, which he said he would try to “sort out” for them, but they said they would have the takeaway smashed up by, “men in jeeps”, and one of them demanded his t-shirt.

As the delivery man tried to get back into his car he was blocked off by a third person, Oughton, who had earlier driven the Ford Focus.

Miss Wright said the victim was prevented from getting back into his car as Laver produced a six to eight inch-long hammer from his trousers and swung it at him.

He managed to block it off, suffering a painful blow to his left hand, while Price then swung the shopping bag containing the car jack, at him, connecting with his upper leg.

Further blows, with both weapons, caught him on the upper arm, leaving him in great pain, while one missed and caused a dent in the BMW.

The trio were demanding the keys to his car, which were prised from his grasp as he was hoisted away from the vehicle.

All three defendants then got into the BMW before it was driven away.

Miss Wright said the delivery man was left with pain and reddening about his arms and legs, as well as to the side of his face.

He was able to return to the customer’s home, from where the police were called.

Less than half-an-hour later a police patrol driver spotted the BMW and turned around, intending to pursue the vehicle, which then crashed through a fence on Rock Road, Spennymoor, damaging both a length of fencing and a hedgerow.

Both Oughton and Price were found trying to hide in nearby gardens a short time later.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Miss Wright said at some stage later the Ford Focus crashed into a parked Mini Cooper car in Howsham Road, Spennymoor, shunting it forward and leaving it a potential write-off.

Laver, who was identified as the driver, was later arrested having gone to hospital in Durham seeking treatment for facial injuries.

Although the arrested trio gave mainly “no comment” replies in police interview, guilty pleas were indicated or made, on Laver’s part, at a magistrates’ court hearing days later, and, by his co-accused, at the first crown court hearing, on June 5.

The case was adjourned until yesterday (Wednesday July 10) for sentence to be passed.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Miss Wright told the sentencing hearing the delivery driver was left in shock after the incident and was angry at the loss of his vehicle, which he bought only weeks earlier.

The court heard both Oughton and Price have many previous convictions on their respective records, including for driving and offences of violence, whereas Laver has only one previous conviction for theft of a bicycle, from last year.

Calum McNicholas, for Oughton, said his guilty pleas were made on the basis he was not armed and was unaware, prior to the incident, that his accomplices were, although when the weapons were produced he continued to take part in the commission of the robbery and the vehicle taking.

Mr McNicholas added that the defendant, who he conceded has a “terrible record”, has suffered a number of family bereavements, even up to the last year, which have left him suffering, "a significant degree of trauma”.

David Ward, for Price, said, despite his young age, his client also has, “an appalling record”, featuring crimes often committed under the influence of drink and drugs.

At the time of the robbery he had taken zopiclone, which he was not used to, and left him with little memory of events that evening.

Dr Chris Wood, for Laver, conceded it was, “a nasty robbery”, which was not well-planned as the victim knew him.

“How, in any common-sense notion, he thinks he would have got away with it, is unthinkable, but he had consumed drugs before the offence.

“It’s an explanation and not minimisation, and he accepts what he did was extremely serious and will result in an immediate custodial sentence.”

Judge Jo Kidd said the robbery was over, “a protracted length of time”, and was the lead offence in which all three took part, whether or not they were armed.

She imposed a 40-month prison sentence on Oughton, who was also banned from driving for 32 months.

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Young offenders’ institution sentences of 54 months, for Price, and 36 months, for Laver, were also imposed.

Price was also banned from driving for 51 months and Laver was made subject of a 30-month ban.

All three must sit extended re-tests at the expiry of their respective disqualification periods if they are ever to lawfully drive in future.