September 9, 2019 9.38 am This story is over 53 months old

Meat cleaver robbers’ getaway driver jailed

The robbers left their victim terrified

A man who acted as the getaway driver for two masked robbers was jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.

Benjamin Moss drove the men to a house in Grosvenor Road, Skegness, and they walked inside armed with a baseball bat and a meat cleaver.

Philip Plant, prosecuting, told the court: “The victim was at her address. She was in the middle of making phone calls when two masked males entered her address.

“One of the men had his hood up and a mask covering his face. He had a baseball bat. The second male was also masked. He was carrying a meat cleaver. They both had gloves on.”

The men demanded “all the money – everything you’ve got” and then searched the sitting room.

They made off with a tub containing cash, an i-Pad and a mobile phone.

Passersby noticed the two masked men going into the property and called police.

Officers were given the registration number of the car which the men were in. They traced the vehicle to Friskney where it was found at the home of the girlfriend of Benjamin Moss.

A plastic meat cleaver was found along with some of the items stolen from the Skegness house.

Mr Plant said: “The victim was shocked and scared by what happened.”

Moss, 32, of Woodlands Avenue, Spilsby, admitted a charge of robbery arising from the incident on September 14, 2018.

The court was told that his guilty plea was on the basis that he was the driver and he did not go into the house. He was jailed for 32 months.

The court heard he had 23 previous convictions for a total of 43 offences.

Jonathan Dunne, in mitigation, admitted that Moss had a bad record of offending when he was younger but said his crimes have reduced in seriousness in recent years.

“He was using drugs at the time of this offence. I am told he was under the influence of cocaine when he was driving the car.”

Mr Dunne said that Moss has spent almost a year in custody on remand since his arrest and is now clean of drugs.