Chip shop attackers robbed victim of necklace
Northumbria PoliceA man who used "gratuitous" violence when he and his stepfather robbed a man of a necklace in a chip shop has been jailed for two and a half years.
Connor Wade, 25, repeatedly punched and kicked the victim in a takeaway shop in South Shields in April 2023, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He carried out the attack with his stepfather, who has since died, and left the victim with bruising and bleeding to his face and head.
Wade, of Fellgate in South Tyneside, admitted robbery and illegally possessing an axe, which he had tucked into his trousers.
In CCTV footage shown to the court, Wade and his stepfather could be seen buying food from the shop at about 17:15 BST on 25 April 2023.
Moments later they were seen in the street outside attacking another man, with the violence spilling into the shop, the court heard.
The pair repeatedly punched and kicked the man about his body and face while workers at the chip shop tried to usher the attackers away, the court was told.
In the melee, the pair were able to grab the man's gold necklace before fleeing.
They were arrested nearby a short while later, with officers finding the necklace when they searched Wade's stepfather, the court heard.
Recorder Nathan Moxon said the violence was of a "gratuitous nature" with the men delivering a "significant number of blows with both fists and feet" as the victim was "cowering in a corner".
He said while Wade had been assessed as being "susceptible to the influence of higher-functioning criminal associates," he was "clearly a full and willing participant" in the attack.
