Duo jailed after hair salon owner and 87-year-old customer were injured in terrifying violent attack

Aaron Bonner and Royston Thomas barged into Fresh Hair Salon in Bonegate Road, Brighouse, to demand money and seize the cash drawer and a handbag, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Prosecutor Clare Walsh said the robbery took place on December 28, 2018, at 11.10am when the salon owner and two elderly clients were in the shop.

One of the men took hold of the owner by the jumper and pulled her around. She was screaming as he shouted: “Where is it?”

The second man then demanded: “Where is the money?”

When the 87-year-old customer made for the door to get help, he flung her to the floor fracturing her hip.

The robbers made off with her handbag and the salon’s cash drawer containing up to £100.

The police arrived to find the owner in great distress and the elderly lady still on the floor “subdued and moaning in pain.”

Officers saw the blue car used in the robbery later that day. It was pursued and both men were arrested.

The salon owner suffered bruising to her face and arms. She said in her victim personal statement that she had run the shop for 30 years but was afterwards too afraid to be there on her own. She closed it and now ran a mobile hairdressing business.

The son of the injured customer said she was independent and confident before she was robbed. Her favourite time of the week was going to the hairdresser.

She was in hospital for a long time afterwards and then needed care at home. She deteriorated, suffered repeated falls and her life was never the same since.

Bonner, 43, of Celandine Avenue, Huddersfield, and Thomas, 37, of Gilbert Grove, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, pleaded guilty to the robbery.

Bonner admitted possession of a small knife he had on him when he was apprehended.

Thomas pleaded guilty to having £80 of heroin and £105 of crack cocaine on him.

Miss Walsh said that Thomas went on to rob another elderly woman in March last year.

She was walking in Bradford Road, Huddersfield, at 9am when he pushed her and grabbed her bag.

His 76-year-old victim was left pale and shaking.

Bonner had 14 previous convictions for 18 offences, including robbery and house burglary.

Thomas had 44 convictions for 74 offences including robbery, burglary and fraud.

In mitigation, Bonner’s barrister, Jemima Stephenson, said he was very remorseful and disgusted with himself. He had since turned his life around with the help of a very supportive partner.

He was a drug addict at the time and while remanded in custody in Leeds Prison he had continued to seek help to wean himself off illegal substances.

Bonner had also made a great deal of progress in seeking help for his mental health problems. He was keen to pursue a career as a barber. It was something he enjoyed and felt he was very good at that, the court was told.

Aubrey Sampson, for Thomas, said he was realistic and knew he was going to prison for a significant period of time. He was unable to recall either of the robberies because his “head was messed up.”

Thomas, also in custody in HMP Leeds, recognised that they were “pretty nasty offences” in which he had targeted vulnerable people.

He was taking drugs every day at the time and did not care how he got money to feed his habit. He was working with the prison authorities to resolve his mental health problems.

Recorder Jeremy Barnett said the salon robbery was “a particularly nasty offence.”

It was a small business whose customers were almost exclusively older women. The owner was pulled around, suffering bruising, and the 87-year-old woman was flung to the ground and suffered a fractured hip.

The men had targeted vulnerable people and the salon had closed because the owner was too scared to return to it on her own.

Thomas then went on to rob an elderly woman in the street. He had previous convictions of robbery and was under the influence of drugs. He was jailed for a total of six years.

Bonner was imprisoned for five years.