Armed teenagers held up taxi drivers after luring them to housing estates

Two teenage robbers have been locked up after luring taxi drivers to Black Country housing estates and threatening them with knives and fake guns.

Tyreece Clarke carried out six robberies in 10 days, calling taxi drivers and a delivery driver before threatening them with a knife or imitation firearm.

For two of the robberies Clarke was joined by a 16-year-old, who stabbed a driver in one incident but cannot be named for legal reasons.

On April 12 the pair called a taxi driver to the Lion Farm estate in Oldbury and demanded money before the younger defendant stabbed the driver twice in the chest, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Judge Amjad Nawaz said: "You could not know what injury you were going to cause, it could have resulted in death, but you were willing to take that chance.

"The driver hadn't realised he'd been injured, he just thought he'd been punched.

"Only when he got out and was seen by others he realised he was bleeding.

"The two blows entered his chest cavity, there was blood in his lungs and he was in hospital for some time.

"The psychological aspect is that he will never overcome it."

Delivery driver attack

Later on the same evening, the pair ordered food to be delivered from a different address on the same estate.

When the delivery driver arrived he was accosted by the pair who were both armed with knives, the court heard.

The teenagers pushed the driver against a wall, punched him, threatened him with a knife, searched his pockets and stole the food he thought he was delivering.

The man escaped without being seriously injured.

Ten days earlier, Clarke had called another taxi driver to Tantany, in West Bromwich, where he pointed an imitation pistol at his head.

Judge Nawaz said: "He is no longer able to work nights as a consequence of that, it's left a long-lasting psychological impact."

Clarke also carried out a robbery in West Bromwich town centre by the bus station.

Guilty

Clarke, of Newhall Street, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to two robbery charges and was found guilty by a jury of four robbery charges, possessing an imitation firearm and three charges of possessing a bladed article.

He was acquitted of wounding with intent.

The younger defendant pleaded guilty to one robbery charge and one charge of possessing a bladed article, while he was found guilty by a jury of robbery, wounding with intent and a second charge of possessing a bladed article.

He was acquitted of two robbery charges, possessing a bladed article and possessing an imitation firearm.

Clarke was sentenced to 12 years in custody by Judge Nawaz, while the 16-year-old was handed five years and four months.

Judge Nawaz said: "The offences show an element of planning and predetermination.

"Each of the defendants were vulnerable as they were performing a duty by attending a call.

"They could not know and would not be expected to know that they would be subject to a robbery when they arrived."