JAILED: Thief knocked scooter rider to ground in ambush
A robber who took a scooter after the rider had been deliberately knocked off the machine in an ambush, was starting a two and a half year jail sentence today.
Daljit Singh was struck on the head as he passed James Mascall and another man who had both been lying in wait for him after breaking the steering lock in a failed bid to steal the bike which was parked close to a CCTV camera in New Gas Street, West Bromwich, a judge heard.
The blow sent him flying from the Yamaha 125 and left him lying in the road close to Bristol Street Motors in New Swan Lane as the robbers picked up the bike that still had the key in the ignition and its lights on, explained Mr Patrick Kelly, prosecuting.
They quickly climbed aboard and as they rode away a passer by alerted the police and went to help Mr Singh who damaged his shoulder, face and legs in the fall, it was said.
Mascall rode pillion but the driver soon lost control and crashed on a roundabout on the Black Country New Road shortly after they struck at around 11.10 pm on February 17.
Chase
A police patrol called to the scene heard the smash and chased after them as they split up and ran away in different directions.
The police car tailed the driver while the other officer from the crew pursued Mascall on foot as the 23-year-old sprinted into John Street in a fruitless bid to escape and admitted “I am so scared – I wasn’t the driver” when caught climbing over a garden fence, continued the prosecutor.
The bike was a write off. Mr Curtis Myrie, defending, said Mascall had a learning disability which led him to behave impulsively and make wrong decisions.
Mr Singh, who had parked the bike while visiting a friend, said in a statement he suffered from flashbacks for months after the incident which left him in pain and significant financial difficulties.
Mascall, from Philip Road, Great Bridge, who had two cautions but no previous convictions, denied robbery but was convicted after a trial before being remanded on bail for pre sentence reports.
Judge Peter Barrie jailed him and said: “You saw his scooter, tried breaking the steering lock but could not steal it.
"The two of you then hatched a plan, waited until he returned and knocked him off his bike as he rode past. I am sure a weapon was used because the blow was heavy enough to damage his helmet.
“You have a habit of being led by others and I sentence you in the belief that you were tagging along with your friend whose idea all this was.”
It is unclear what happened to the other robber.
