TWO IDIOTS have been jailed after they robbed people who responded to an advert on a selling website.
When they arrived, officers found Allen hiding in bushes near to Longworth Close concealing a metal weights bar and arrested him.
Simon Allen (25/03/1987) of Flixton Road Urmston pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and Ashley Bosson (04/01/1992) of Moss Park Road, Stretford, to one count of robbery at an earlier hearing.
On Monday 24 September 2012, Simon Allen was sentenced to six years in jail and Ashley Bosson was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institute.
On Wednesday 9 May 2012, a 56-year-old man saw an advert for a Naim Uniti Hi-Fi entertainment system on the Gumtree website for £1,750 and attempted to phone the mobile number. There was no reply so he emailed the ‘advertiser’.
He received a reply from Allen to meet at a house on Rixtonley Drive, Irlam at 8pm that day.
When he arrived, he got out of the car and was approached by a male accomplice of Allen. He was grabbed and punched in the head and body before the male demanded he handed over money. Following a scuffle, a nearby resident opened their door and let the victim in to escape the assault.
The male smashed the victim’s car window and made off.
On Thursday 10 May 2012, a 48-year-old man saw the advert for the Hi-fi, which was being sold for £950, and sent an email. He received a reply to meet ‘John’ after 5pm at a house in Bents Lane, Davyhulme. When he arrived, he received a phone call from Allen who told him to go to a different address on the same road.
As he arrived and parked up, a male approached and smashed the driver’s window with a metal bar and demanded he handed over the money. Fearing for his safety, he gave the man the money who immediately ran off.
Later that night, a 47-year-old man had also arranged to meet the ‘seller’ at a house on Skye Road, Urmston. He knocked on the door of the home and got no answer so called Allen on his mobile phone to see where he was.
Allen told him he would send someone down to see him before the victim was approached by two men wearing balaclavas from an alley way.
He was hit across the head with a cosh, causing him to fall to the floor, dislocating his knee. They continued to hit him before they stole £900 and the victim’s mobile phone and ran off.
After the incidents were reported, police launched an investigation.
The item was still being advertised on the website so officers phoned the number and arranged to meet ‘John’ at 7pm on Wednesday 16 May 2012 on Longworth Close, Flixton.
When they arrived, officers found Allen hiding in bushes near to Longworth Close concealing a metal weights bar (literally a 'dumb-bell' it would appear, Ed) and arrested him. Bosson, who was concealing a large 12" kitchen knife tried to run to Allen's car but was caught and arrested.
