A Carlisle man who robbed a takeaway delivery driver at knifepoint and then spat in the face of a police sergeant following his arrest, telling her he had COVID, has been jailed.
James Broughton, 31, emerged from an alleyway on Trafalgar Street, where he lived, after his victim attempted to locate a nearby house.
Broughton returned to the lane after saying he didn’t live at the address the driver was seeking. The delivery driver returned to his vehicle and sat inside with the door open while he made phone checks with his base.
“At which point the defendant approached,” prosecutor Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court today. “He was holding a pocket knife, grabbed the car key to stop him leaving and said ‘give me all your money otherwise I will stab you’.”
Broughton made a movement with the knife which led the victim to believe he would be knifed. He handed over his £150 cash float and takings to Broughton, who left the scene, dropping the car key and returning to the alley.
The driver gave a description of Broughton and his clothing to police, who had already received a 999 call from a neighbour after his home was seen insecure.
Officers went to the house, realised he matched the description of the robber and arrested him. Cash and two pocket knives were recovered.
In an impact statement, the delivery driver described heightened anxiety and hyper vigilance in the aftermath. He was also suspicious and nervous of people while trying to go about his business, and called his family more often.
Broughton was struggling and abusive when taken into custody. He spat full in the face of a custody sergeant as she was trying to explain the process and calm him, and tried to bite a PC. “Whilst he was doing this saying he had COVID and wanted to infect people with COVID,” said Mr Evans.
Two positive COVID tests were found at Broughton’s home although the dates of those was uncertain. He later admitted robbery, illegal knife possession and two emergency worker assaults.
Mark Shepherd, in mitigation, spoke of Broughton’s troubled and terrible childhood, adding: “He is utterly ashamed of his actions as well he might be.”
Judge Nicholas Barker said robberies made potential people going about their daily business fear that threat and danger was around every corner. Broughton was jailed for a total of 45 months.
