Shropshire Star

Robber steals from pizza driver - on his own doorstep

A man robbed a pizza delivery driver on his own doorstep - before fleeing his house with the food and drink, a court heard.

Published

Ross Evans, 23, ordered a late night feast of more than £40 worth of pizza, side orders and drinks from Domino's Pizza.

But he refused to pay when the delivery man turned up at his door, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Evans pushed the man backwards before grabbing the bag with the food and drink in and running away from the house in Brookside on December 30 last year.

He was arrested by police less than an hour later after neighbours saw Evans return to the house in Brookside and scale the back fence, the prosecutor told the court.

Evans, of Burford, Brookside, Telford,admitted a single charge of robbery at a previous court hearing and appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced.

Mr Jones said Evans pushed the man to the chest, causing him to stagger backwards, before he grabbed the bag of food and ran off.

"A neighbour saw it happen and also saw him (Evans) come back and scale the fence," Mr Jones said.

The prosecutor told the court when Evans was apprehended, he said to police: "You know it was me, can't I just pay the money so I don't go to jail?"

Mr Dean Easthope, for Evans, said his client had no previous convictions and had never been in trouble with the police before.

"The situation was he wanted a pizza," Mr Easthope said.

"He had just arrived at new premises, had new flat mates, they egged him on to go and get pizza and he wanted to fit in.

"He intended to take the pizza and slam the door shut.

"Unfortunately, quite rightly, the delivery driver refused to give him the pizza until the cash had been handed over.

"It was hardly the plan of the century

"He is a very hard-working young man who made a very silly mistake that night."

Recorder Stephen Thomas sentenced Evans to eight months in prison but suspended the term for a period of 18 months.

The judge also ordered Evans to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, take part in a 12-month supervision programme with the probation service and pay the delivery driver £100 compensation.

Recorder Thomas said: "This sort of crime has an impact on the immediate area. These delivery drivers perform an important public service for some, delivering pizzas to homes, and there is always a risk of that service being removed because of people like you.

"However this action, although despicable, was clearly out of character for you."

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