A man grabbed a Durham University student by her throat and dragged her into bushes during a terrifying attempted robbery.
Warren Pearce had been taking Valium and drinking booze when he stopped the Aisan student on November 20, last year, and asked to see her papers to see if she was entitled to be staying in the UK. The helpful student even offered over her passport and permit shortly before Pearce turned violent and dragged her into nearby bushes.
Fortunately, the attempted robbery was thwarted by two other passing students who heard the woman's cries for help and bravely chased Pearce away. When arrested, the 30-year-old claimed that he'd smoked so much cannabis, his "evil side", who he named "Geoff", had taken over his body and that he had little recollection of it.
Pearce, of Ashton Street, Peterlee, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced for attempted robbery and possession of cannabis. He had pleaded guilty to the charges a previous hearing.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said the victim, an Asian Durham University student, was walking from Trevelyan College into Durham city centre at around 10.30am. "She was listening to her device using headphones and the defendant approached her and was saying something", he said.
"She couldn't hear him so removed her headphones. The defendant asked her for her papers to show she was entitled to stay in the UK. She offered the defendant her passport and her British residency permit. The defendant stated they should go to a quiet place and they walked a short distance where the defendant scrutinised the documents."
Pearce then pretended to make a phone call while checking the documents before he "threatened to lock her up", claiming her passport was fake. The stumped victim even offered to take him to her college reception where it could be verified. But Pearce, who appeared "agitated and anxious" then made further threats about locking her up.
Mr Soppitt, said the victim became "more and more anxious" and was thinking about running away when Pearce "grabbed her round the neck and put his hand around her mouth". He said: "The defendant told her to be quiet or he would take her to a place where no one would hear her. He then demanded money whilst dragging her further and further away to an area of bushes. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from behind, the victim cried for help and said 'please don't hurt me'."
The court heard that two passing students heard the victim's cries for help and saw her being dragged away. The two male students then "charged" Pearce, who let the woman go and ran towards them in a failed attempt to "intimidate them". Realising the students weren't scared of him, Pearce then ran off as the woman was escorted back to her college and the police were called. Pearce was arrested around an hour and a half later.
When arrested, Pearce apologised and admitted trying to rob the student. The court heard that not long before the offence, he had been released from Durham police station that morning and was under investigation for another matter. Mr Soppitt said Pearce also told police that he had "smoked so much cannabis that his evil side, Geoff, had taken over and his body blacked out".
Pearce had 23 previous convictions for 43 offences, including for kidnap, assault and affray, the court heard.
Chris Baker, defending, said Pearce's main mitigation was his guilty plea. "He understands that given the evidence before the court, that there's a significant likelihood that your honour will find him a dangerous offender. It is clear he does have mental health issues and that he's a vulnerable man. He has a long history of significant self harm and determined attempts at suicide whilst in custody. At the moment he's seeking assistance for his issues."
Sentencing Pearce, Recorder Thomas Moran, said the attempted robbery "could and would have gone further had it not been for the two brave students who became involved". He said Pearce "selected" the woman as a victim and must have been "very convincing" when asking for her papers.
Pearce was jailed, with the Recorder sentencing him to an extended prison sentence of seven years and eight months.
