[22 DEC 00] CRIMES, FIRES & ACCIDENTS
City Youth Hunted After String Of Robberies

A youth with a dog is being hunted in Coventry in connection with three vicious street robberies all carried out in the same road.

Police believe the same person is responsible for three incidents that took place in Bell Green Road.

The first attack took place on 24 November at 5.30pm. A 56-year-old man was walking down the road and noticed that he was being followed by a youth with a terrier-like dog.

He was trailed from Sewall Highway, up Pendennis Close and onto Bell Green Road.

Suddenly the youth grabbed the man and pushed him to the ground.

He rummaged through the man’s jacket and stole £40 in cash. The man suffered grazing, cuts and soreness to his hip.

The victim described the attacker as being in his late teens, 5ft 10ins, and was wearing a kagool or wind-cheater.

On 1 December at 6.30pm the youth struck again, setting upon a 46-year-old woman walking along towards Carey Street.

She heard someone running behind her and her handbag was grabbed with such force that the strap broke.

The woman screamed and reached down and held onto the bag, but the youth snatched it and made off. The bag had £270 cash in it.

She said the youth had a shaven head, a cream and white three-quarter length jacket and dark trousers.

The next day, again at 6.30pm a 40-year-old woman was waiting at a bus stop opposite Nuffield Road, when she saw the youth walk past her and into Nuffield Road.

Minutes later he returned and paced the length of the bus stop. He seemed agitated and was talking to the dog.

He then grabbed the woman’s handbag, pushed her to the ground and ran away.

The woman suffered a twisted ankle and had £80 stolen.

The dog was again described as a terrier like, and black and white or grey.

DC Mark Haughian from Stoney Stanton Road police station said:

“These were nasty incidents and we believe the youth must be local to the area as they have all happened in Bell Green Road”