A woman and a teenager who kidnapped a male during a terrifying nighttime Carlisle robbery committed at knifepoint have been sentenced by a judge.
The city’s crown court heard today how the victim initially ordered cannabis from a dealer. The buyer was asked to show his £10 payment upfront at a street Rendez-Vous in the Botcherby area during the early hours of January 28. At that point, the youth — then just 16 — brandished a knife and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.
Prosecutor Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court: “While that was going on, (the youth) was issuing threats; threatening his family, using the knife to prod him in and around the face.” This left him cut.
When asked where his money was, the victim replied £10 was all he had. The youth repeatedly punched the male, vowing to go to his home and saying: “I’ll stab your girlfriend, I’ll stab your mam, I’ll stab your dad and I’ll burn your house down.”
After being marched to his address, the victim desperately transferred cash between accounts to reduce the amount available to the crooks. He handed over his bank card and PIN and was made to drive to an ATM, from which 38-year-old partner-in-crime Leona Danielle Curran withdrew £380 before heading to a pre-arranged meeting.
Curran — heavily intoxicated — had earlier told the man: “You need to do this because he will carry out the threats”.
The victim was left “deeply upset” by the offence.
Just 40 minutes before the start of that incident, the youth — his face covered by a snood — had robbed a 20-year-old pizza delivery driver of food and alcohol in the Botcherby area. Stab threats were made during that earlier incident but no knife was produced.
The youth, now 17, admitted two robberies, and also kidnap and bladed article possession relating to the second offence. Curran was convicted of robbery and kidnap after a trial.
After mitigation and detailed background reports were considered, both were sentenced at the crown court. The teen was given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order with an intensive supervision and education requirement — plus a three-month night time curfew — after the judge said his attention “must focus” on the teen’s welfare and rehabilitation; Curran was jailed for five years.
Passing sentence, Recorder Peter Atherton said to the youth of his kidnap and robbery victim: “You repeatedly assaulted him; you cut him with a knife; you threatened him with a knife; you repeatedly punched him about the head.”
Recorder Atherton told Curran of her role: “Threats were uttered by the 16-year-old and you did nothing. On the contrary: you encouraged.”
