April 30, 2020 2.08 pm This story is over 27 months old

Delivery driver mugged by fraudster outside Lincoln home

Two years passed before he was brought to justice

A delivery driver was mugged as he arrived a Lincoln house with a high value package, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

The courier was approached by two men after parking his vehicle on Mildmay Street in the city and making his way to the house where he was due to deliver £860 worth of perfume.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said that fraudster Edward Wilson and his accomplice fraudulently used another man’s bank debit card to buy the perfume and then obtained details which allowed them to track the package.

“When the delivery driver arrived the defendant and his accomplice were waiting in a Lexus car parked nearby.”

The attackers approached the courier in the street asking for the package to be handed over but were told they had to prove they lived at the address by entering the property.

Mr Scott said: “The defendant grabbed at the parcel and there was a brief struggle. The driver stumbled and fell to his knees. The defendant then pushed him backwards.”

Wilson and his accomplice then made off with the parcel but the delivery driver managed to note down the registration number of their car as they left.

The Lexus was seen later the same day in Bailgate where Wilson collected nearly £400 worth of spirits from The Whisky Shop which had been paid for by fraudulently using another person’s bank card.

The two men again drove off but were stopped by police on the A1 in Cambridgeshire and arrested.

Mr Scott said that in both instances Wilson had used other people’s bank cards after obtaining their full personal details including the PIN numbers for their cards.

Mr Scott said: “There was significant planning. He was tracking the parcel sent to Mildmay Street and then laying in wait. The fraudsters never had possession of the victim’s cards but they had acquired their details, possibly over the dark web.”

The court heard that Wilson’s accomplice was identified by police but officers have not been able to trace him.

Wilson, 36, of King Street, East Finchley, London, admitted charges of robbery and fraud as a result of the Mildmay Street incident on March 29, 2018. He also admitted fraudulently using a bank card to purchase goods from The Whisky Shop.

He was given a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years with 200 hours of unpaid work and a four month night-time curfew.

Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, said Wilson had only avoided an immediate jail sentence because the offences happened two years ago and in the interim period had committed a further offence for which he has already been sentenced.

Marianna Pasteris, in mitigation, said: “It’s clear that it wasn’t intended that any force would be used. It was hoped it would go much smoother.”

She said that Wilson is now back living with his partner and is working as an electrician.