These bungling crooks who tried to rob a woman at knife-point were captured on CCTV – wearing CUSHION covers over their heads.
Wayne Billingsley, 42, and Adam Roberts, 48, cut eye-holes in the brown patterned covers when they ambushed Kathleen May as she withdrew money from an ATM.
But the thieves were caught when Mrs May pushed the pair of them away because she initially thought the botched robbery was a “joke.”
A court heard Roberts even removed his disguise because he was unable to see through the eye-holes he had cut out.
The pair, both of Worcester, admitted attempted robbery. Billingsley also pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon.
Billingsley was jailed for seven years and four months and Roberts for six years and six months when they appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday (24/2).
Judge Robert Juckes QC said: “Drugs offences create so much other offending and this is a classic example.”
He said the men had worn masks and carried a knife to target a woman on her own which must have been “terrifying” for her.
The pair, both drug addicts, targeted Mrs May as she used an ATM outside ASDA in St Martin’s Square in Worcester at 8.10am on November 5 last year.
Before putting on the masks, the robbers were captured on CCTV wandering around the city centre looking for likely targets using cash-points before walking over to Mrs May.
Prosecutor Dan White told the court: “They were struggling to walk around because they were unable to see with the cushion covers over their heads.”
Roberts removed his disguise but Billingsley was still wearing his as they approached Mrs May holding a long-bladed kitchen knife.
Mr White said: “Roberts said ‘give me your money and you won’t get hurt’ and she was pushed by one of the men. She said ‘what?’ and pushed him back and then told them to get away.
“Roberts repeated the threat and Mrs May said ‘get away now.'”
The two crooks walked off as a woman passerby approached and Mrs May could be seen on CCTV calling the police on her phone.
Mr White said: “She was shaking and shocked. Thankfully, she had not seen the knife at the time.”
Mr White said the two men had discussed the robbery the night before and when police later called at Roberts’ flat they found the small pieces of material cut out to make eye holes.
Billingsley was also sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs from December, 2014, to April, 2015, and Roberts after admitting affray.
Judge Juckes warned them they ran the risk of spending most of their lives in prison if they carried on offending.
In an unconnected incident, Roberts had chased a man out of his flat and into a car park carrying two knives in a dispute over a mobile phone on April 30 last year.
The court heard Roberts had racked up 62 convictions for 187 offences, including a jail term for manslaughter, while Billingsley had 15 convictions for 36 offences.
Jason Patel, for Roberts, said that he had tried to go straight after his last release from jail and was working as a landscaping manager but had slipped back into using drugs.
Samantha Lamsdale, defending Billingsley, said: “His craving for hard drugs took over.”
