Three sentenced to lengthy jail terms after robbery in Stoke-on-Trent

Three people have today been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after admitting their roles in a robbery in Stoke-on-Trent.

Rio Bailey, aged 27, of High Street, Knutton; Stuart Jarvis, aged 43, of St Mark’s Close, Shelton; and Kimberley Sullivan, aged 31, of Westminster Place, Hanford, were sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 25 November).

Bailey received six years and seven months after pleading guilty to robbery, section 20 assault, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Jarvis, who pleaded guilty to robbery, section 20 assault and possession of a pointed and bladed article, was handed six years.

And Sullivan admitted robbery and received three-and-a-half years.

The robbery occurred between 6am and 8am on 5 July 2019. The victim, a recovering drug user, had been offered the drug known as monkey dust about four weeks before the incident took place, reigniting their drug addiction.

In the early hours of the day of the robbery the victim was told to attend a property on Windermere Street, Cobridge, to discuss obtaining drugs, where he met Bailey and Jarvis.

A row broke out before Bailey and Jarvis both started attacking the victim, punching and kicking them in their face and body. The victim tried to escape through the front door but was dragged back by the pair, snapping the handle off in the process.

They then started demanding money from the victim, with Sullivan also joining the shouts to give them “the money”.

With the victim on the floor, Sullivan pinned their legs down and Bailey sat on their torso, punching them in the face. They then started removing the victim’s trousers, shoes and jacket to see whether they had any money hidden away, at which point the victim was able to free themselves and get out into the street to scream for help.

Bailey, Jarvis and Sullivan all fled on foot towards Waterloo Road.

During the attack the victim suffered bleeding from their ears, mouth and from a cut on their forehead which required six stitches. They also sustained a broken eye socket, and swelling to their face and jaw and another cut on their left hand.

After officers responded to calls and searched the area, Jarvis was spotted on Windermere Street with another female knocking on an address and was arrested. He was found to be carrying a dagger inside a pendant tied around his neck. Bailey was found at Central Forest Park and arrested.

Sullivan was later spotted at about 3pm on a field off York Street and was then arrested on a nearby footpath.

While on remand in HMP Dovegate, near Uttoxeter, Bailey used the prison phone to arrange for his friends and family to intimidate the victim. Ashley Pullin, aged 25, of Moorthorne Crescent, Newcastle, was asked to offer the victim money to either not attend court or blame the other defendants. Pullin admitted offering the victim money and acting as a go-between, but denied ever making threats.

Pullin pleaded guilty at the trial to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and was handed 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Speaking after the four defendants received their sentences, DC Dave Stubbs from Staffordshire Police’s CID North said: “This was a brutal and unprovoked attack on a vulnerable victim. The victim was left with some serious injuries following the sustained attack by Bailey, Jarvis and Sullivan.

“The offence was then aggravated following efforts by Bailey to obstruct the course of justice by getting his friend Pullin to contact the victim and offer to pay him off to prevent him from turning up at court or give evidence against him.

“Detectives worked hard to ensure that the criminal justice process was not interfered with and additional charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice were served on Bailey and Pullin and the victim safeguarded.

“Staffordshire Police will work tirelessly to protect and support victims of crime and to bring offenders of such serious offences to justice. The sentences given out today reflect the seriousness of the offences.”