A drug-crazed teenage bandit arrested after a spat

A drug-crazed teenage bandit arrested after a spate of armed
attacks on defenceless milkmen was jailed for three years today
Friday.

Mark Rayment, 19, admitted armed robbery for a ruthless
assault on a milkman doing his Saturday rounds on an Estate in
Harold Hill.

Terrified victim Mr Stephen Palmer, 38, had a gun pressed to
his temple and was threatened by Rayment that he would ‘let him
have it’ unless he handed over his meagre takings.

Rayment, who was tripping on LSD at the time, was picked out
on an identity parade by his victim.

The court was told Mr Palmer, from Dairy Crest in Romford,
was collecting his dues on October 17 last year when he entered
Halstead House on the Dartfields estate in Harold Hill.

Just inside the door, Rayment pounced on him, pressed a pistol
to his left temple and announced: ‘I’ll have all of it now.

‘
Mr Palmer, a family man, handed over his pouch containing
pnds stlng 80, but explained that he could not get access to the
rest of the money which was in a safe in the milk float.

Rayment continued to issue increasingly serious threats,
including the threat to ‘let him have it’, before fleeing with
the contents of the pouch.

He was arrested at the home he shares with his mother and
brothers in Camden Close, Chadwell Saint Mary, Essex, a month
later after police received a tip off.

Wigs, including one identical to that described by Mr Palmer,
were found in his bedroom and a blank-firing pistol was located
hidden under the floorboards.

Rayment admitted robbery and having an imitation firearm with
intent.

The judge was told the jobless defendant had a long history
of robbery, including a two year youth custody term imposed a
year before the attack on Mr Palmer.

Miss Mary MacDaid, defending, said her client resorted to
LSD abuse after an ‘extremely disturbed’ childhood.

Judge Neil Denison QC told Rayment: ‘Armed robbery is a very
serious matter – not because of the money you took but because
of the fear you instil in the person against whose head you held
the gun.

‘It must attract a custodial penalty.

‘
The judge said he took into account Rayment’s ‘terrible’
childhood, his courage to plead guilty and the risk of him
becoming institutionalised by a long prison term.

Rayment did not react as he was sentenced to three years
detention in a young offenders institution.

ENDS