PO robber jailed for seven years

12:12pm Thursday 17th July 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

A DANGEROUS man who beat a 66-year-old Sparsholt postmistress over the head with a metal pipe has been jailed for seven years.

Admire Masaiti, 18, from London, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court today (July 17) after carrying out the traumatic attack in June last year, which left Linda Scorey with two black eyes and two large cuts to her head.

The court heard how the youth, originally from Zimbabwe, travelled to Winchester on June 27 last year and wandered to Sparsholt.

First Masaiti, wearing a hoodie, went into the Post Office and asked Mrs Scorey for 80p of sweets and left. Minutes later he returned and told her that she would give him money.

The pensioner hit the panic button and tried to shelter in the glass-partitioned post office part of the shop but Masaiti, who was 17 at the time, hurled a rock through the window, breaking the glass.

He forced his way in and dragged Mrs Scorey out while she bravely tried to wrestle free. As the fighting continued, Masaiti hit her over the head with a metal pipe before fleeing.

He was later caught when traces of his DNA were found on the sweets he had bought earlier and thrown away nearby.

Police had his DNA on file from his previous offences, which included possessing an offensive weapon, shoplifting and street robbery.

Judge Thomas Longbotham described the attack as traumatic and told Masaiti: "The photographs of her injuries were the kind that would cause revulsion in the eyes of the public. It's a terrible thing to do to anyone."

He added: "You must understand people can not just forget about these incidents. This sort of offence stays with people and has a great effect on people beyond the physical injuries."

Matthew Morgan, mitigating, said that Masaiti was remorseful for the attack and that his offending had been a result of excessive drink and drugs. He added that his client had led a tough life since moving to London in 2005 to live with his aunt and that this had driven him to run away and get involved in drink and drugs.

Mr Morgan said that Masaiti caused the injuries to Mrs Scorey through panic.

He was handed an extended sentence of seven years custody in a young offenders institute, which will be followed by a period of four years in license.

The 265 days that Masaiti has served so far will be taken off the custodial sentence.