Jail for armed attack on pair

Two sisters delivering alcohol to a flat were confronted by a hammer-wielding would-be robber.

They bravely resisted Kenneth Bewley's attempts to get into their car to steal the party pack, which included spirits and mixers.

Bewley was jailed for three-and-a-half years yesterday after pleading guilty to the attempted robbery at Leicester Crown Court.

The court heard the 28-year-old had ordered the drinks for a celebration of his daughter's birth. The women were students helping out their brother, who ran delivery business Bottle Butler.

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Gregor Purcell, prosecuting, told the court that, on November 17, Bewley ordered a £48 drinks delivery to Churchill Road, Mountsorrel, where he lived.

The sisters arrived to find the address was a block of flats and called the defendant, who met them in the street with another male.

Bewley initially attempted to pay with a bank card using their card reader but the payment was refused.

Mr Purcell said: "He snatched the card back and tried to push past one of the complainants to get at the two bags of drinks in the car and said, 'I'm taking them anyway'."

He tried to get into the vehicle and stuck his leg in the doorway to prevent it being closed.

Mr Purcell said: "He then produced a claw hammer.

"Both initially thought it was a knife.

"When he waved it about they saw what it was and feared they would be struck with it."

By chance, police officers were nearby and the sisters managed to drive away.

Sentencing, Recorder Richard Jones said: "When you found you were unable to pay you produced a claw hammer.

"There was an implicit threat you were going to use it if they didn't hand over the goods."

James Varley, mitigating, said Bewley was an addict.

He told the court: "He had come back from hospital and was celebrating his daughter's birth when they ran out of alcohol.

"He had a job and thought he had the means to pay but the electronic device said not.

"Like any other addict – because that is what he is – he reacted with anger and frustration and decided to take what wasn't his.

"No force was used and he did not end up with the drinks."