Former bank worker from North Shields jailed for robbery

Rachel Fox lured a victim, who had drank ten pints during a night out in Newcastle, into a secluded area in the city where she and a male accomplice, who has never been caught, attacked him and stole his possessions in August 2021.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the man was punched five times and ended up on the ground in agony from a dislocated shoulder and a ring, which belonged to his late father, was taken from him.

The victim said in a statement he lost some movement in his arm as a result of the shoulder injury, gets ‘very scared’ and has ‘flashbacks to the incident every day.

Prosecutor Rachael Glover said: “The ring belonged to his late father and would have been worth a lot of money.

“It was the one item that mattered the most to him and worth more in sentimental value. He is upset he will never get this back.”

Fox, 30, of St Stephen's Way, North Shields, North Tyneside, who has previous convictions but has never been to prison before, was shown on CCTV carrying a ‘distinctive red handbag’ during the attack, admitted robbery.

Stuart Graham, defending, said Fox is ‘absolutely mortified’ at her behaviour and its consequences and she had a positive past.

He added: "She was a normal mum, she had a job, working at Tesco bank. She was a single mum, working hard to look after her children."

Mr Graham said Fox went on a ‘downward spiral’ after she suffered domestic violence from two partners, turned to substance misuse and lost her job and home.

Mr Graham said Fox had known the male she committed the robbery with, who has never been caught, for just over a month and was ‘controlling and bullying and coercive’ but added: "I can't get around the fact it was mean and horrible and there was planning.

"She's greatly ashamed of that.

"If she hadn't met that male she would never have got involved in that sort of offending.”

The court heard Fox has been ‘clean’ since last year.

Mr Recorder Jeremy Barnett sentenced Fox to four years behind bars, said the victim was an ‘easy target’ and that the message must go out that such violence on a vulnerable victim will not be tolerated.

He told Fox: "I accept at the time you were in the wrong crowd, taking all manner of Class A drugs, you weren't thinking straight, you wanted money for drugs.”