‘Robbery scam’ pair’s sentences are halved at High Court appeal
TWO men who helped their disgruntled friend stage a “sham” robbery at the shop where he worked have had their jail terms halved on appeal.
Rajputhiran Krishna, 21, of Dane Road, Southall, Middlesex, and Anpalakan Arumgrasa, 24, of Ruskin Road, Southall, helped their friend, who was an employee of the Best One convenience store in Ninfield Road, Sidley, stage a fake robbery at his workplace on June 14 last year.
The pair were acquitted of robbing the shop, after it emerged that the scheme had been cooked up with the purported victim to hit back at bosses he claimed owed him money.
But they were convicted of theft and jailed for 18 months at Lewes Crown Court on November 25 last year.
Last week, Mr Justice Holman and Mr Justice Openshaw, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, cut both their terms to nine months, after finding that they were sentenced on the wrong basis.
The court heard that, at 2.55am, police attended the shop following a report that four men had broken into a flat above the shop and stolen property from both the flat and the store.
The gang was caught still sitting in a van outside the shop with stolen cigarettes, alcohol and chocolates. It later emerged that the robbery was in fact a pre-planned scam.
Lawyers for Krishna and Arumgrasa argued the judge had lost track of the fact that they had not carried out a robbery or put anyone in fear when he imposed their sentences.
Delivering the court’s judgement, Mr Justice Holman said: “The judge’s reference to violence and intimidation was not appropriate in the case of these two appellants, who were acquitted on the charge of robbery.
“It is a serious matter to stage an elaborate sham to enable their friend to steal from his employers.
“A custodial sentence was inevitable.
“But 18 months was excessive. We reduce that sentence in each case to one of nine months’ imprisonment and, to that extent, this appeal is allowed.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
