Two accused over masked Black Country robberies appear in court
Two men accused of carrying out a spate of masked robberies across the Black Country and Staffordshire, including one involving a 52-year-old widow in her own home, have appeared in court.
Richard Howell, aged 37, and Ross Underwood, 28, are acused of taking a sports car, cigarettes, cash and a £15,000 watch in the raids over a period of less than three weeks during August.
One of the alleged robberies was carried out at the home of a 52-year-old widow in Fox Street, Woodsetton, last Thursday night.
At Dudley Magistrates' Court yesterday, Howell, of Carder Crescent, Bilston, and Underwood, of Damson Wharf, Tipton, gave no plea in response to being charged with conspiracy to rob with others
Both men were remanded in custody to appear again at Wolverhampton Crown Court on November 26.
Miss Jo Taylor, prosecuting, told magistrates that the charge related to five alleged robberies, which took place from August 12 to August 30.
The first was an alleged car jacking of an Audi TT at Orbital Retail Park in Cannock on August 13.
They are also accused of a robbery at a Spar in Kingswinford on August 14, then at Merco garage in Halesowen and Co-op in Tividale on August 23.
The pair were arrested last Friday.
