Regulars chase men after cash is stolen
Regulars at a Staffordshire pub had glasses and bottles thrown at them as they chased a group of men who had stolen cash from a fruit machine, a court was told.
Regulars at a Staffordshire pub had glasses and bottles thrown at them as they chased a group of men who had stolen cash from a fruit machine, a court was told.
The attack happened in Market Square , Rugeley, when the customers pursued a group of men who had stolen the money from The Vaults pub, the hearing heard.
Jason Cooke, from Riddings Hill, Balsall Common, near Solihull, appeared at Cannock Magistrates Court yesterday where he was handed a two-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.
The 38-year-old had already pleaded guilty to a section 4 charge of causing fear through unlawful violence on a previous court appearance. He had also pleaded guilty to theft of money from a fruit machine but magistrates had adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Miss Katie Hamill, prosecuting, said the licensee of The Vaults Pub became suspicious after seeing a group of men surrounding the fruit machine with Cooke kneeling on the floor on the evening of February 28 last year.
Cooke had dismantled the fruit machine and had taken a box containing hundreds of coins before fleeing the pub with the other men.
But they were pursued by regulars at the watering hole who had glasses and bottles thrown at them as they chased the men.
Cooke then threatened one of the customers with a broken bottle and screwdriver as he tried to get into a Ford Mondeo car.
The cash box had been kicked out of his hand and retrieved by the group of regulars from The Vaults spilling hundreds of coins into the street.
Miss Hamill said: "The customers who ran after the gang were put in fear of their safety due to the actions of the defendant who threatened them with a screwdriver and broken bottle. It was very threatening and aggressive behaviour."
She said Cooke had a number of previous convictions for theft and possessing an offensive weapon.
Mr Neil Geraghty, defending, said: "At that time of his life he was going through a very difficult time. He had split up from his wife of 16 years and had got into a crowd who were heroin users. He is now back with his partner and taking help to beat his problem with drugs.
