Coventry mugger who took a KNIFE to his own court hearing

[dutchman]

Stuart Cooke tried to conceal the knife as he passed through security at Warwick Crown Court



A convicted robber who mugged a woman and then took a knife to a court hearing has escaped being jailed.

Stuart Cooke triggered a metal detector at Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington as he tried to conceal the knife in his hand.

He had been attending a review with a judge to see how he was coping with a drug rehabilitation order as part of his punishment for the street robbery.

Cooke was arrested and charged with possessing an offensive weapon and committing a further offence while subject to a suspended sentence.

Cooke, 43, of March Way, Ernesford Grange, Coventry, had pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery in April last year after mugging a woman and snatching £20 from her after she had withdrawn money from a cash machine.

He had been handed a 12-month prison term suspended for 18 months, with a rehabilitation activity and a drug rehabilitation order under which he was required to attend the crown court on a regular basis for a judge to review his progress.

But when he turned up for a review, to be heard by Judge Andrew Lockhart QC on February 9 this year, he triggered the metal detector at the Justice Centre security desk.

Cooke, who had already been asked to remove any metal objects before going through the metal detector arch, was asked to empty his pockets for a further check.

He did so, but attempted to conceal something in his hand which, when he eventually handed it over, turned out to be a folded pocket knife.

Cooke pleaded guilty to the charges of possessing an offensive weapon and committing an offence while he was subject to a suspended sentence.

Judge Lockhart commented: “I have got to pass something for the breach and also something for this offence.”

Cooke was given a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity for 25 days for the offensive weapon, and a further 25 days’ rehabilitation activity for the breach of the suspended sentence, and ordered to pay £25 court cost.

The judge told him: “You and I have worked together across the course of six months. I thought I could trust you, but you committed a silly error.

“This matter, while it is serious, was brought by you into a public place, but it was closed and you did not have any intention to use it and had had it for a legitimate purpose.”

[rebbonk]

Doesn't exactly sound as if he's the sharpest knife in the drawer, does he? But I do think the Judge has let us down.