Armed robber jailed after targeting elderly victims – Surrey

A knife-wielding robber who targeted two elderly victims will spend six years and eight months in jail after an evening crime spree in January 2020.

Andrew Parker, 41, and of no fixed address, appeared at Guildford Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, aggravated vehicle taking, possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting an emergency worker.

On Friday 30 April, a judge sentenced him to six years and eight months in prison.

At just after 5pm on Thursday 9 January, a 72-year-old man was waiting in his car to pick up his children from Witley railway station. Parker approached the man in the car park and said “where is the conference” before entering the car via the passenger-side door.

Once in the car, Parker pulled out a knife and demanded to know where the man’s money was. Seeing the knife, the man grabbed his car keys and jumped out of the car in a terrified state.

Having failed to rob the 72-year-old man, Parker then left the car and approached a second vehicle.

There he threatened a 68-year-old woman with the same knife as she sat in the driver’s seat before pulling her out of the car and sitting in the now vacant seat.

Realising she too had taken the keys, Parker chased the 68-year-old woman around the car park, knife in hand, and shouted “give me the keys, I’m going to stab you”.

Upon catching her, Parker threw her to the ground, took her keys and handbag and set off in the car. 

Parker then drove the stolen car the wrong way down a one-way system and collided with other vehicles before abandoning it in Farnham.

Once on foot, he headed towards the town’s leisure centre clutching a bottle of vodka.

Officers located the abandoned vehicle – which had sustained extensive damage – and Parker before arresting him. He was found in possession of the 68-year-old woman’s phone.

He was then conveyed to police custody where he kicked a detention officer in the leg, causing the officer to fall to the ground.

BTP Detective Constable, Phil James, said: “This was an abhorrent and shameless act of criminality during which Parker targeted vulnerable members of the public.

“Fortunately, no one was seriously injured by Parker’s actions, but this could easily have not been the case given his recklessness.

“I would like to thank the victim’s for supporting us in bringing Parker to justice, the witnesses that came forward and the courts for the sentence they handed Parker for his horrific actions.”

This is the moment Parker threw the 68-year-old victim to the floor before driving off in her car.