Two men who were involved in a violent knifepoint robbery in Bury town in the early hours of Saturday 21 September 2024 has been jailed
Rian Hitchman aged 20 of no fixed abode was sentenced to two years and Owen Parkes aged 22 of Hanson Street, Bury was jailed for three years and six months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery at a previous hearing.
The court how victim was befriended by Parkes and Hitchman and was targeted due to his intoxication, which made him particularly vulnerable.
The victim left the club he was in just after 4am and walked down Silver Street, stopping outside a bar which Parkes and Hitchman were in.
Both men left the bar and walked straight to the victim. The victim agreed to get in a taxi with Hitchman and Parkes, dropping them off near an underpass, where the victim was then robbed.
One of the men made demands for the victim to hand over personal items, while the other produced a knife and pointed it towards the victim’s throat.
Around two minutes later Parkes and Hitchman emerged from the underpass, but the victim was nowhere to be seen. He managed to flag down a passing ambulance and told them of his ordeal and he received treatment.
Two weeks later police were informed of another incident involving two males in Bury town centre. Upon reviewing the CCTV, officers believed them to be the same men involved in the previous robbery
PC Hubbard, of the Neighbourhood Crime Team in Bury, said: “This is an excellent result with two dangerous offenders locked up and away from harming vulnerable victims.
“The pair targeted a victim who had been out drinking and was therefore vulnerable, subjecting them to a terrifying ordeal by threatening them with a knife.
