Teenage thugs locked up for moped robbery
Two teenagers have been locked up after another youngster was threatened with a kitchen knife before having his moped stolen from a Walsall supermarket car park.
Thomas Jellyman was sitting on his bike in the car park of the Asda store in St Lawrence Way, Darlaston, when the thieves struck.
Daniel Sell asked to have a ride on the bike after walking up to him with Nathan Bell and Michael Parkes, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Mr Jellyman kept making excuses because he did not know any of the trio well, so they surrounded him and Bell pulled out a kitchen knife with an eight-inch blade, said Mr Richard McConaghy, prosecuting.
The weapon was held four or five inches from his side as Bell said: "Let my mate have a go on your bike."
Sell then got on the moped and did a lap of the car park before Parkes joined him as the pillion passenger.
They rode towards the exit and were followed from the car park by Bell who ran after them.
Mr Jellyman, who reported the robbery to police, knew the names of some if not all of the three teenagers involved.
'Just watch your back'
The moped was found a couple of days later with £35 cash untouched under the seat and the suspects were arrested soon afterwards.
The incident took place on August 26, 2016.
A month later Mr Jellyman was walking through Walsall town centre when Sell came up to him – breaking the terms of his bail – and said the victim would get the keys to his moped back if he dropped the charges against them.
The defendant added: “If we go down for this you just watch your back. I will get people on to you. I know where you live.”
The threat fell on deaf ears because the approach was immediately reported to the police.
The trio, all now aged 19 but 17 at the time of the offence, admitted being involved in the robbery although some waited until the day of trial to do so.
Sell from Sandwell Street, Dudley, also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice and was given three years detention in a Young Offenders Institution while Bell, of no fixed address, further admitted possession of a knife and received two years four months detention.
Parkes of Bassett Close, Willenhall, who played a lesser role than the others and has mental health issues, was handed a suspended sentence of 16 months detention.
