‘Get out or I’ll kill you,’ says teen in terrifying gunpoint robbery of man’s van in Northampton

Two men have been sent to prison for robbing a man of his company van at gunpoint in Northampton.

At around 4am on July 28 last year, a man stepped out of his home in East Park Parade to smoke inside his van, which was parked nearby.

He then spotted three men approaching him and locked his doors as they began to surround the vehicle.

One of the men - later identified as then 17-year-old Stanley Ball - appeared at the driver’s window, wearing a black bandana over the lower part of his face. He produced an air pistol and used it to hit the window.

At Northampton Crown Court on February Thursday 23, it was heard that Ball told the victim, “Get out or I will kill you.”

Priya Bakshi, prosecuting, said the victim described being “terrified” so did what he was told. He called the police as the men drove away in the van.

Police were able to locate the van in Henry Street, where they tracked Ball to his address in St Michaels Avenue. The van’s keys were found in the garden of the property.

Officers found one of the other men involved in the robbery, 18-year-old Nabeel Islam, in the cellar along with the firearm used to threaten the van driver. Both teenagers were arrested.

Ball has three previous convictions including public disorder and two counts of possession of cannabis.

Islam has one previous conviction - an offence of wounding with intent where Islam produced a large knife and stabbed his victim in the abdomen.

Micaila Williams, defending Ball, said he has already spent over six months under local authority remand and has complied with everything required of him.

Ms Williams described Ball as someone who is “easily led” and “susceptible to others” given his young age and lacks consequential thinking.

The defence barrister added: “Since coming to Northampton [from Brighton] and since having a support worker, he is slowly but surely beginning to build a more productive lifestyle.”

Houzla Rawat, defending Islam, said that, when he was previously in detention, the secure unit offered a great deal of support and structure for him.

The court heard that, when he was released at the age of 17, he had little support and was unsuccessful in obtaining stable employment so fell back into increased drug taking.

Ms Rawat said Islam had a troubled childhood consisting of serious domestic violence. Islam moved to the UK from Italy at just 10 years old not speaking any English and his education was very fragmented.

She added that Islam, since being remanded in prison, passed levels one and two of maths and English and secured a job in his prison’s call centre for the last five months, which requires spontaneous drug testing.

His Honour Judge Mayo DL, sentencing, said: “Despite the positive things I have read about your improvements, my decision remains that you should both receive sentences in detention in a young offenders institution.”

Ball, aged 18, of St Michaels Avenue, was sentenced to 34 months detention for robbery and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

Islam, aged 18, of St Michaels Avenue, was sentenced to 64 months detention for robbery and possessing a firearm.