Burglar jailed after targeting Plymouth businesses
A burglar and robber who targeted three Plymouth businesses in a matter of a few hours has been jailed.
John Ralph, 48, of Penrose Street, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, robbery, attempted robbery and two counts of being in possession of a bladed article in a public place when he appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on Wednesday 30 September.
Ralph was sentenced to five years in jail.
The court heard that the police were called to the Pier One café on Hoe Road, Plymouth, where staff reported that on opening on Monday 24 August, they found the staff tip box empty on the floor.
There was also evidence that unsuccessful attempts had been made to open the cash till, but the damage was irreparable, which added a further cost to the business.
CCTV footage showed that Ralph entered the premises soon after 1am and was only present for a few minutes before leaving with an estimated £600 from the staff tips.
Later that day, soon after 9am, he was caught on CCTV entering Ladbrokes bookmakers on Mutley Plain, Plymouth.
He had an exchange with a male member of staff before producing a knife and demanding that he be given all the money in the till.
The staff member grabbed a broken chair arm to defend himself, in case Ralph got closer, activated the alarm so the police were called and refused all demands by the suspect, who then left the premises.
Within an hour, he targeted a Spar shop on Old Laira Road, Plymouth.
A member of staff noticed a man, later identified as Ralph, in a phone box near the shop for around 20 minutes after several customers had left, he entered the store, selected some items from the shelves before approaching the checkout.
As the items were being scanned a brandished a knife and demanded that female staff member open the till.
Fearing for her safety, she opened the till and stepped back allowing Ralph to remove the till drawer containing £260 and leave the shop, after which the police were called at around 9.45am.
Having been identified, he was located a few days later and arrested on Sunday 30 August.
Detective Sergeant Paula Smith, from the Priority Crime Investigation Team, said: “We welcome the sentence and would like to thank all the victims of these crimes for their support throughout this investigation.
“Without their commitment, we would not have seen justice being served as it has been today.
“We hope that the result brings the victims some closure from the incidents and helps them to recover from what Ralph put them through.”
If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.
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