Northallerton dessert shop robbed by two homeless men

Joseph Spencer and Graham Simms covered their faces before walking into Dolcie Dessert Emporium and demanding staff hand over the cash while one was holding a carrier bag up to their faces.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the desperate pair pretended to be holding guns while making their demands to give them ‘the f****** money’.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said the terrified staff urged the robbers to take the tips jar off the counter and leave the shop in Northallerton town centre.

He said: “The two defendants walked into to the shop having pulled their jackets up and hats down to hide their faces – each carrying plastic bags.

“They approached the counter, one of the males, Simms, said – ‘give me the f****** money’ as he pointed a white plastic bag in her face and made threats to shoot her.

“The bag was scrunched up in such a fashion that she thought there was a weapon inside.

“She told them they didn’t have any money and Spencer pointed at the till and said ‘that button opens the drawer’.

“She told them leave or she would call the police. Both continued to gesticulate towards the till telling them to give them the money – they both appeared to be drunk.”

Mr Gittins said they took the tip jar containing £30-£40 pound and plate of tray bakes before leaving the shop and fleeing the area.

The court heard how the pair were spoken to at Middlesbrough Railway Station the following day about in unrelated incident and were later identified by the body-worn camera footage and arrested.

In victim impact statements, the staff and owner of the shop spoke of how they had been badly affected by the robbery and were now scared to work late at night and worried about male customers coming into the store.

Spencer, 38, and 48-year-old Simms, both of no fixed abode but from the Middlesbrough area, pleaded guilty to robbery from August 4 this year.

Graham Simms (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

The former also pleaded guilty to a non-dwelling burglary and going equipped for burglary following his arrest on Yarm High Street after a business under renovation was broken into and £750 worth of tools were stolen, on April 4.

Kate Clarke, on behalf of Simms, said: “This was a foolish act, there was very little planning involved, no use of violence and seemingly in drink.

“He also may have taken some tablets so was clearly intoxicated. He made very foolish threats in the shop and is very remorseful.”

Joseph Spencer (Image: North Yorkshire Police) Robert Mochrie, representing Spencer, said: “The inevitable sentence that you pass today will mark the longest sentence by a significant degree that the defendant will have served.

“The longest sentence he appears to have ever received was six weeks, of course he was subject to licence when this took place.”

Judge Richard Bennett told the pair they had left the staff terrified during the robbery.

He said: “I don’t determine there is any distinction in the behaviour that both of you exhibited in this robbery. You were both involved, you are both clearly culpable of the offence.

“Clearly in your case Mr Simms, this is you third robbery conviction.”

Spencer was jailed for three years and four months for all offences while Simms was locked up for three years for the robbery.

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Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Quita Readman, from Northallerton CID, said: “We worked very closely with Cleveland Police and British Transport Police to secure the arrests of the robbery suspects, Simms and Spencer.

“They thought they could brazenly travel in and out of our area to commit crime without being caught.

“The prison sentences handed out to them shows just how wrong they were. This outcome is a reflection of how seriously the incident was taken by the police forces involved and by the courts too.

“We will never tolerate criminal behaviour in our community and this case demonstrates the lengths we will go to seek justice for victims.”