An ‘egocentric and domineering’ young aristocrat w

An ‘egocentric and domineering’ young aristocrat was
today (Monday) jailed for three years for trying to rob a
‘spy shop’ at gunpoint.

Tall and handsome Jasper Duncombe, 25 tomorrow, became
obsessed with his drug dealer’s threats to tell his father,
author Lord Feversham, of Duncombe Park Estate, Helmsley, North
Yorkshire, of his addiciton, the Old Bailey heard.

Duncombe, addicted to cocaine and ecstasy and suffering
with a character disorder, planned to rob the ‘Corner Spy Shop’,
– suppliers of surveillance equipment – in Queensway, west London.

He wanted bugging devices, VHS scanners, walkie-talkies
and combat gear including a bullet-proof vest so he could trace
and learn more about his supplier, whom he knew only as ‘Timmy.

‘
‘Uppermost in his mind was his obsession that while his
supplier knew all about him and his family, he only knew his
supplier’s Christian name,’ said Mr Nicholas Price QC,
defending.

Duncombe, of Rowlands Gardens, Chelsea, sw London,
admitted attempted robbery, two charges of having an immitation
firearm and assault with intent to resist being detained.

Jailing him for a total of three years, the judge
Recorder Miss Anne Rafferty QC said: ‘There are worrying sets
of circumstances about this; worrying for the shop staff, the
general public and yourself.

‘You took with you an immitation firearm and a small,
dangerous, easily concealed knife.

‘It may have been luck, it may have been the bravery of
the shop staff that nothing more serious happened.

‘You took cocaine before your visit and although the
expressed purpose was to acquire surveillance equipment some
of the items you displayed an interest in do not fit that
description.

‘There is a history of angry outbursts that has
been labelled as simple truculence at your failure to get your
own way.

‘This label may be childishness.

‘
The judge said she took into account Duncombe’s youth,
previous good character and emotional problems.

‘The treatment to help you will be available when you
serve your prison sentence,’ she said.

Adding: ‘It is a far, far shorter sentence than I would
otherwise have passed.

‘
Duncombe showed no emotion when sentenced.

His family were not at court because, according to Mr
Price, the defendant did not want them to come.

The judge interrupted Mr Price by saying: ‘You need not
address me further on that matter because I have a good idea of
why.

‘
Prosecutor Mr Jonathan Lowen told the court Duncombe
first telephoned the Spy Shop on August 6, 1992, using the false
name of Mr Brown.

‘He said he was seeking surveillance equipment including
walkie-talkies, bugging devices, a VHS scanner and equipment
for combat use including a bullet proof vest,’ said Mr Lowen.

The shop owner, Mr Mohammed Kurdi, 44, told him the
equipment was available and it would cost pds stlng 12,000.

Duncombe said he would only collect the gear in strict
privacy.

After snorting cocaine, he donned a ‘ludicrous’ disguise
of a false moustache, sunglasses and a baseball cap.

He even died his hair black.

‘He could not have attracted more attention to himself
if he had tried.

It was a ludicrous disguise,’ claimed his
counsel.

After several telephone calls and once going into the shop
but leaving because of other customers, Duncombe entered the premises
again at about 6.

35 pm on August 6, 1992.

Looking nervous and paranoid, Duncombe insisted that the
window and door shutters be pulled down and he locked the front
door himself, the court heard.

‘The items were put into a bag he brought with him,’ said
Mr Lowen.

‘He stood up and walked to the front of the shop and
suddenly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Mr Kurdi.

‘He told him not to move and he told Miss Hall to get
on the ground,’ said Mr Lowen.

But unbeknown to the upper-crust bandit, his attack
was being ‘bugged.

‘
Mr Kurdi’s brother, Musa, had listened in to the
whole episode on scanners from just outside the shop.

Hearing what was happening he ran to the shop door.

‘He couldn’t get in because it was locked but he
afforded some distraction causing the defendant to turn and point
his gun at him through the window,’ said Mr Lowen.

And as Duncombe turned, Mr Mohammed Kurdi courageously
lunged at the bandit and dragged him to the ground.

During the scuffle, Miss Hall quickly unlocked the door
and with the help of the brother Duncombe was pinned to the
ground.

During the struggle Duncombe dropped his gun, but pulled
out a knife and slashed Mr Mohammed Kurdi’s hands.

‘The brother in seeking to restrain the defendant and
taking the view that they were in danger inflicted a head injury
on the defendant while he was held to the floor,’ said Mr Lowen.

Police arrived quickly and arrested Duncombe.

A magazine fitting the gun was found in the shop.

The pistol was capable of firing blanks only.

Duncombe was taken to hospital before police searched his
flat.

When interviewed by police he exercised his right to
silence.

The court heard he had no previous convictions and held
two firearm certificates.

Mr Price had asked the judge to allow Duncombe his freedom
because of a tragic family background and difficult childhood.

‘One could say to him ‘You’ve had a privileged background
and there is no reason why you should receive a sentence other than
what anyone else would receive,’ said Mr Price.

‘But it is not who he is, but what he is that matters.

And
what he is is a young man who needs help.

‘His should have been a secure and successful future but
something must have gone wrong and gone wrong badly to lead to
these extraordinary and bizarre events.

‘His deep-rooted and psychological problems stem from a
long history of a difficult background in his early childhood.

‘
His mother killed herself with an overdose of pills when
he was seven.

‘The reason for that unfortunate and tragic death was
not revealed to him at he time,’ said Mr Price.

‘It must have left deep scars and caused unrecognised
damage.

‘
Duncombe’s lifelong ambition to be a soldier was shattered
when he was rejected by the Royal Hussars on medical grounds because ]
of a slight deafness problem of which he was unaware.

He failed at several other endeavours before moving to London
and eventually succumbing to the ‘temptation of drugs’, said Mr Price.

‘Because of his background, credit was readily offered.

‘It was only when he didn’t pay on time that his supplier
began to turn the screws on him.

‘
Duncombe, taking cocaine and ecstasy regularly, owed his
supplier ‘Timmy’ pnds stlng 5,000.

‘It soon became obvious to Mr Duncombe that he knew nothing
about his supplier other than his first name but the supplier knew
everything about his family,’ said Mr Price.

Duncombe was not scared by the supplier’s threat to beat
him up unless he cleared his debt.

But he was terrified by ‘Timmy’s’ threat to tell his family
of his drug addiction and financial crisis.

Psychiatrist Dr James McKeith said Duncombe was not mentally
ill but had a character disorder which sometimes led to violent
outbursts when he was thwarted and did not get his own way.

A life-long family friend Mr Michael Abrahams said
Duncombe’s family was shocked by the crime but was standing by
their son and loved him very much.

ends