Knife-carrying thug robbed man with learning difficulties at Castleford Bus Station
A thug forced a man he knew had learning difficulties to hand over money at a cashpoint while showing him he had a knife in his trousers.
Damian Fawcett then tried to take more money from his days later after spotting him in Castleford town centre again.
He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week for four years with the judge telling him: “You knew full well what you were doing.”
The court heard that the victim, who lived in assisted living, was familiar with Fawcett.
The man had been stood withdrawing cash from the ATM outside Castleford Bus Station on March 21. Fawcett spotted him and approached him, asking for £20 to buy food.
The man refused and Fawcett offered to sell him drugs, which he refused. Fawcett then told him: “Give me £20 or I will stab you.”
He showed him the handle of a knife in the waistband of his trousers. In fear, the man handed over £20.
The incident was caught on the cashpoint CCTV.
Then at 11pm on April 1, Fawcett saw the man in a takeaway on Albion Street in Castleford and followed him when he left.
He again demanded £20, but the man told him he did not have his bank card on him. Fawcett, who showed him the knife in his waistband again, then frogmarched the man to his assisted-living accomodation, ordering him to go inside and get his bank card and not speak with anyone.
When they arrived, staff came out to question why Fawcett was with him. He told them he was helping the victim home because he was drunk. When the man confessed what was really happening, Fawcett left the premises.
The 26-year-old was arrested days later and during his police interview denied wrongdoing.
He later admitted charges of robbery, attempted robbery and two of possessing a knife.
Fawcett, of Lock Lane, Castleford, has 10 previous convictions for 22 offences, prosecutor Benjamin Bell told the court.
He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand.
Mitigating, Maya Hanson said that Fawcett claimed he was hearing voices at the time, but a psychiatrist who examined him said it was likely caused by his drug use.
She said: “He says he would never had hurt the complainant. He is extremely remorseful for what took place and understands his actions were wrong.
“He accepts it would have been an extremely frightening experience for the complainant.”
She said Fawcett, who is hooked on cocaine, also has “complex” learning difficulties and had been bullied and attacked by other prisoners while on remand.
But Judge Tahir Khan KC said it “must be a significant and immediate sentence of custody”.
He told him: “You came up with a story that you were helping him when you were only really interested in robbing him.”
Judge Khan also gave him a five-year restraining order to keep him away from the victim.