Masked teens robbed Uber driver with imitation gun

Two teenagers car-jacked an Uber delivery driver and fired an imitation handgun during a Christmas Eve robbery, a court has heard.

The two boys, aged 15 and 16 at the time, demanded the driver's keys after confronting him in Bradford on the evening of 24 December 2023.

The masked pair had lurked in an alleyway in the Bradford Road area while the victim dropped off a food delivery, before firing the pistol in his direction.

The offenders, who cannot be named due to their ages, were each spared custody following a sentencing at Bradford Crown Court.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast said the victim had reported seeing one of the youths raise a gun and a spark flying from it, as something flew past him.

He then handed over his keys and the teenagers got into the vehicle and drove off.

A 9mm (0.3 inches) cartridge was later found at the scene and the car was found crashed on Clayton Road shortly after the robbery.

"The victim reported being very frightened by the incident and thought he might lose his life," Mr Standfast said.

The court heard that DNA found on a sword in the damaged car linked it to the 15-year-old robber.

When that youth was later arrested, he was in possession of a black imitation handgun and ammunition, it was said.

Mr Standfast said the weapon was a good visual copy of a Beretta pistol, but it was an imitation firearm.

The court heard that neither teenager had any previous convictions and both of them had kept out of the trouble for the last 16 months.

Barrister Fuad Arshad, for the 16-year-old, said his client had been "criminally exploited" by older offenders at the time, but he had now moved to another part of the country with his family.

Mitigating for the 17-year-old, Jeremy Hill-Baker said his client had been "keeping his head down" since December 2023 and was working.

Both boys admitted offences of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm in a public place.

The younger defendant also admitted a further charge of possession of an imitation firearm relating to his arrest and an offence of possessing ammunition without a firearms certificate.

Judge Jonathan Gibson KC sentenced the 16-year-old to an 18-month youth rehabilitation order, which included requirements to attend weapons and victim awareness programmes.

His older co-defendant received a 12-month referral order.

Both were banned from contacting their victim for five years.

Judge Gibson said: "At the time he clearly believed he had been fired at with a real gun and immediately passed over his car keys.

"He certainly thought at the time he might lose his life."

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