A serial thief punched a man in the face and robbed him of his bike as he stood on his own doorstep.
David Appleby spotted the victim cycling home from work in Newcastle then approached him as he went inside his address. A court heard that the 32-year-old brazenly claimed the bike was his before unsuccessfully trying to grab it off him.
Undeterred by the victim holding on, Appleby lashed out and struck him in the eye before making of with the pedal cycle, prosecutors said. However, unbeknown to him, the whole incident was captured on CCTV and he was identified.
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Before Appleby was arrested for that offence, he went on to cause more misery by smashing a window of a friend's address and threatening to burn his house down, Newcastle Crown Court was told. The serial crook, of Allenheads, in West Denton, has now been jailed for 28 months after he pleaded guilty to robbery, threats to damage property and criminal damage.
Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said the victim of the robbery had cycled home from work on May 12 last year and was stood on his doorstep when he was approached by Appleby. Mr Perks added: "The defendant approached from behind and took hold of the bike, telling the complainant that the bike belonged to him.
"When the complainant didn't let go, the defendant took it off him by punching him to the left eye and running away. The incident was captured on CCTV and the defendant was later identified from the footage. The complainant suffered from discolouration to his eye."
The court heard that, three months later on August 28, Appleby went to a friend's house in the Byker Wall and demanded to be let in. When the man refused, he smashed his kitchen window. Just days later, Appleby approached the same man outside a shop in Byker and threatened to burn his house down.
Appleby, who has 99 offences on his record, was eventually arrested. In a statement, the victim of the robbery said: "I don't expect to be assaulted and my bike stolen outside my address. I now feel unsettled in the area. It also caused inconvenience for myself trying to get to work as the bike was my main form of transport."
Matthew Purves, defending, said the robbery was a "chance encounter" and wasn't planned, adding: "Life difficulties seem to have presented themselves. He was going through a period of alcohol misuse at the time."
As well as locking Appleby up, Recorder Gavin Doig made him subject of a five-year restraining order, which banned him from contacting the victims.
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