A DANGENHAM TEENAGER AGREED TO BE LOOKOUT ON A SER

A DANGENHAM TEENAGER AGREED TO BE LOOKOUT ON A SERVICE STATION

ROBBERY BECAUSE HE WAS IN DEBT, AN OLD BAILEY JUDGE HEARD.

ANDREW COOK, 17, OF WALDEGRAVE ROAD, DAGENHAM, WAS ‘TEMPTED ‘ TO

JOIN IN BECAUSE HE OWED #400 ON HIS CREDIT CARD AND HAD RECENTLY

LOST HIS JOB, SAID MR KENNETH CAMERON, DEFENDING.

WEARING STOCKING MASKCOOK AND ANOTHER YOUTH WALKED INTO THE

OAKSTEAD SERVICE STATION, BENNETTS CASTLE LANE, DAGENHAM ON NOVEMBER

20, LAST YEAR.

AS COOK STOOD BY THE OTHER YOUTH JUMPED OVER THE COUNTER
AND THREATENED THE CASHIER WITH A HAMMER.

THEY RAN OFF WITH THE CASH TRAY AND #130 – BUT BOTH WERE
RECORDED ON THE STATION’S VIDEO CAMERA AND ARRESTED A SHORT TIME
LATER, SAID MR PETER JENNINGS, PROSECUTING.

COOK PLEADED GUILTY TO THE ROBBERY AND HAD EARLIER ADMITTED

OTHER CHARGES OF CRIMINAL DAMAGE, BURGLARY AND TRAVELLING IN A

VEHICLE HE KNEW HAD BEEN TAKEN WITHOUT CONSENT.

THE OTHER YOUTH WILL FACE TRIAL AT A LATER DATE.

THE COURT HEARD THAT COOK, WHO HAS PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS
FOR DISHONESTY, HAD BEEN LIVING IN A CHILDREN’S HOME AND ONLY
RECENTLY RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY.

SENTENCING HIM TO TWO YEARS YOUTH CUSTODY RECORDER GILBERT

GRAY, QC, SAID: ‘I DON’T WANT TO SEE A YOUNG MAN LIKE YOU

ALTOGETHER CRUSHED.

YOU HAVE HAD SOMETHING OF A DISADVANTAGED START

IN LIFE’.

BUT THE JUDGE WARNED HIM: ‘IF YOU GO ON AS YOU ARE DOING YOU ARE

GOING TO BE IN AND OUT OF PRISON ALL YOUR LIFE – SERVING LIFE

IMPRISONMENT ON THE INSTALMENT PLAN.

‘

ENDS.