TWO men have been jailed for robbing a Chinese restaurant whilst wearing Halloween masks and armed with knives.
Joseph Mark Lambert and Jamal Mohammed Rassidou robbed the Fortune Cookie restaurant on Great Ayton High Street on the evening of November 12, 2018.
Both were wearing Halloween-type masks and carrying kitchen knives as they demanded money from the staff, leading them to fear they would be stabbed.
The pair then made off with £250.
North Yorkshire Police investigated the robbery and, acting on community intelligence, identified the two suspects as Joseph Mark Lambert and Jamal Mohammed Rassidou.
They were both arrested and subsequently charged with robbery and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Rassidou was also charged with possession of cannabis.
Lambert, 26, from Great Ayton and Rassidou, 20, from Stokesley, eventually pleaded guilty to the offences and both were sentenced at York Crown Court on Thursday, October 17, 2019.
Lambert was jailed for a total of five years.
Rassidou was sentenced to a total of 39 months’ detention in a young offender institution.
They must both also pay a victim surcharge of £170, and court orders were made to forfeit the knives used in the robbery.
DS Chris Parker-Beagrie, of Northallerton CID, said: “This was a terrifying raid that left restaurant staff in real fear of being stabbed.
"Thanks to information and intelligence received from the local community, we were able to identify those responsible, and bring them to justice.
The sentences they received will ensure the public is protected from these individuals.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel