A homeless robber who carried out a catalogue of knifepoint robberies in Bath that left the victims traumatised, was today jailed for 11 and a half years.
Porcelain NecklaceArmed with a six-inch blade, Tobias Clarke, 21, held up six men and women around the same time every night during a crime spree that lasted from April 7 to May 14 this year.
In all the robberies he covered his face with a scarf and used a double-bladed, combat knife to threaten the terrified victims, who were all alone at the time of the attacks, and ranged from a female student to a war veteran in his 80s.
He struck between 9.30pm and 10.45pm, taking cash, handbags or mobile phones, and always said something along the lines of "turn around, walk away, and don't look back" to his victims.
The April crimes took place in North Parade, Lime Grove and Pulteney Road, and then Clarke struck in May in James Street West and Upper Bristol Road.
One of Clarke's four female victims was American student Chloe Hughton. She had just returned from the United States, where her father had died from cancer, when she was robbed. Police found Clarke had a dollar note he had taken from her. His oldest victim was war veteran Richard Lovett.
Clarke, who had worked at Gala Bingo and Carphone Warehouse in Bath, initially denied carrying out the robberies but admitted being Fake Chloe Handbags in possession of a knife.
He was due to stand trial at Bristol Crown Court but changed his plea and admitted carrying out the string of street robberies.
At his sentencing hearing in Bristol today, prosecutor Fiona Elder said Clarke first struck at 10.15pm on April 7 when he targeted a man who got off a bus on Bathwick Hill.
"Clarke asked the man 'Are you looking for trouble?' and he replied 'No, I'm not'."
The victim was ordered By Clarke to hand over his wallet but as he did not have one, he gave him a pounds5 note and some coins.
He next struck shortly after 10.45pm on April 13 when he targeted a woman ash she walked to work at a hotel.
"He put a blade close to her face and asked for a wallet or a bag," Ms Elder said.
Clarke then targeted Mr Lovett on April 19 as he walked to a pub on York Street at about 9.45pm.
Ms Elder said: "He waved the knife in front of the victim in a stabbing motion and said 'Let's have your wallet' three or four times.
"The victim thought (Clarke) would cause him substantial harm so he gave his wallet to the robber."
Clarke struck three more times before police arrested Clarke after finding him
embroidered patches in possession of a bag containing clothing that matched descriptions given by the victims.
Further analysis found sim cards taken from some of the victims' mobile telephones could be attributed to calls made by Clarke.
The court heard Clarke, described by his defence lawyer as an intelligent man, had previously been convicted of knifepoint robberies in Oxford and was on parole at the time he went on his crime spree in Bath.
Jailing Clarke for 11-and-a-half years, Judge Julian Lambert said: "This was a campaign of robbery where you threatened vulnerable, lone people."
Judge Lambert
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