A brave teen came to a 63-year-old man's aid when a thug tried to rob him of money at a cash point.
Drug-fuelled Damon Clark targeted the victim in Newcastle City Centre as he withdrew £250 one afternoon in March this year. A court heard that the 36-year-old repeatedly tried to grab the cash as the man held on to it before launching himself against him while shouting "just give it".
An 18-year-old girl witnessed what was happening and, along with another, tried to intervene, forcing Clark to flee the scene after claiming he was "only trying to help" the victim. The teenager took the male to a nearby pub to sit down but later spotted Clark on nearby Clayton Street and detained him while police arrived, prosecutors said.
Now, the dad-of-two, of no fixed abode, has been jailed for 16 months after he pleaded guilty to attempted robbery at Newcastle Crown Court. Recorder Simon Goldberg said: "This offence was aggravated by the fact it was committed during the operational period of a community order imposed on December 1 2021. I note your previous convictions. I note none are for offending as serious as robbery."
The court heard that the victim was withdrawing £250 from a cashpoint at the junction of Clayton Street and Newgate Street at around 5pm on March 29 this year when Clark "shoved him" and tried to grab the money. Neil Pallister, prosecuting, continued: "Fortunately, [the victim] was able to grab the money first. The defendant's hand went on top of [the victim's] hand and he persistently tried to grab the money while trying to knock [the victim] out the way.
"[The victim] managed to hold on to £30 and the rest went back in the dispenser. His hand was pushed inside the money slot. Some people were intervening, pushing the defendant away. The defendant launched himself against [the victim] saying "Just give it"."
The court heard that the victim was "grateful" to those intervening as he was "shaking with fear". After Clark fled the scene, the 18-year-old girl took the man to a nearby pub to recover. She later spotted Clark on Clayton Street and he was arrested.
In a statement, the victim, who suffered scratches and an inflamed knuckle, said: "I really think this male is a lowlife attacking me like that. I didn't feel old until this point. I hope he gets what he deserves."
The court was told that Clark, who has 71 offences on his record, had led a law-abiding life until he developed a heroin habit following the death of his one-week-old baby son. Rachel Hedworth, defending, added: "He is utterly remorseful. There's no evidence of any planning in this case and he has, since his remand in custody, made steps to address a long-standing drug addiction, which was the motivating factor behind a lot of his offending behaviour that led him to make various appearances before the court previously."
Ms Hedworth said Clark was now drug-free and hadn't realised the age of the victim when he made the "foolhardy" decision to try and rob him.
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