A MAN who pawned gold bangles forcibly wrenched from a woman’s arms in a gang robbery at her Bradford home has been jailed for 22 months.
The victim was confronted by three masked men at the door of her address in the Shearbridge area and the jewellery worth £3,000 stolen from her, Bradford Crown Court heard today.
Edward Simpson, 28, of no fixed address, was charged with the robbery on December 21 last year but his guilty plea to dishonestly handling the three gold bangles was accepted by the Crown.
Today, he was imprisoned for 16 months for the handling offence and a six-month sus-pended jail sentence he breached was activated consecutively.
Prosecutor David Ward said the woman was confronted in the doorway of her home and the bangles forcibly removed from her wrists.
Mr Ward said it must have been a terrifying experience for her.
Simpson and another man were caught on CCTV selling the bangles the next day.
They were to receive £1,855 for them from one shop but the staff member recognised the jewellery as stolen after photos were posted on a social media site.
The men then went to H&T Pawnbrokers in the city centre and got £1,900 which they divided up between them.
Simpson then said he was going to do his Christmas shopping, the court was told.
He was arrested on December 28 and told the police he bought the bangles to sell on to make money for Christmas.
He had 16 previous convictions for 23 offences, including matters of violence, criminal damage and drugs and an extensive record for offences of dishonesty.
In June last year, he was given a six-month suspended jail sentence for possession of a bladed article and Class B drugs.
Eddison Flint said in mitigation that Simpson knew the bangles had been acquired dis-honestly but not that they had been robbed from the woman.
He handed himself in at the police station after selling the jewellery to make some money.
His family home was attacked on Christmas Day after his face was posted on a social media site.
Simpson, who was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison, had been in custody on remand for 67 days.
The father of a young child, he had gained a trusted role in the prison, working in the kitchens.
Judge Andrew Hatton said Simpson was selling the bangles less than 24 hours after the woman was robbed at 7pm on December 21.
He had an extensive record for dishonesty and was in breach of a suspended sentence order.
The 22 months must be served immediately.
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