Teen admits part in plan to rob Cowcliffe shopkeeper Gurmail Singh

Aug 24 2010 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

In a statement the student said: “Spencer started talking to me about Cowcliffe Convenience Store, going on about robbing the shop and how (his accomplice) wanted Spencer to help.

“He said it could easily be done because the owner was an old man.”

The student said he had tried to talk Julien out of the idea.

Mr Armbrister said after the robbery empty cigarette boxes were found at both defendants’ houses and Julien was found carrying cigarettes that were sold at the Cowcliffe shop.

Julien said he had got the cigarettes from a friend.

His accomplice was locked up for six months in April after admitting carrying out the robbery.

Julien admitted discussing the idea of raiding the shop, but said he “bottled it” and did not actually take part.

His solicitor, Iftikhar Ahmed, said: “He accepts talking to (his accomplice), that they both had a discussion about going into the store and about stealing cigarettes and some money.

“They were talking about it, walking towards the store and at one stage he was asked by (his accomplice): ‘Are you in it?’ The defendant stopped and thought about it and told (his accomplice): ‘No.’” Mr Ahmed said his client had known Mr Singh well enough to chat to when he went into the shop as a customer and decided he did not want to take part in the robbery.

Julien, who had no previous convictions, told the court: “I’m sorry. If I had known I would end up here for discussing a robbery I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t want a criminal record.”

He will be sentenced on September 27.