A Windermere man is set to be sentenced next month after he admitted an attempted knifepoint street robbery and also a handbag snatch outside a supermarket.
Both of Josh David Roelants’ crimes occurred in Kendal during a period spanning just under two months.
At Carlisle Crown Court today, Roelants, 21, pleaded guilty to the robbery of a handbag from a female during an incident outside the town’s Tesco Express which occurred at around 10pm on August 26 this year.
Also appearing in court was teenager Elliott Bryan, aged 18. Bryan denied a charge of robbery but admitted the lesser offence of handling stolen goods — a bank card belonging to the woman who had been robbed by Roelants.
Those pleas were said by a prosecutor to be an acceptable resolution of the case.
Roelants entered his guilty plea just days after he had appeared in front of a different judge at Carlisle Crown Court in connection with a more recent crime.
During last week’s court hearing, Roelants had admitted both the attempted robbery of a person of cash, and also the illegal possession of an article with a blade or point — a knife — in a public place.
These two offences were committed at Highgate in Kendal on October 23.
Judge Nicholas Barker adjourned today’s hearing and directed that Roelants and Bryan should be sentenced on January 29.
On that date, the sentencing judge will consider background reports in relation to both defendants: “He will understand, not so much this matter (handbag snatch), serious as it is, but the other matter (knifepoint robbery bid) puts him in a very, very different position (to Bryan),” said Judge Barker.
Roelants, of Park Avenue, Windermere, remains remanded in custody while Bryan, of Lound Road, Kendal, has been granted unconditional bail.
