Two individuals have been jailed following a dramatic incident in Castleford, where a passer-by was dragged along a road as he tried to prevent a robbery.
The incident unfolded on 1 September in the car park of Morrisons supermarket, Enterprise Way, Castleford, when Keith Wilcox snatched a woman’s handbag and fled to a getaway car driven by Lisa Burgess. A male witness attempted to stop them by jumping onto the bonnet of the vehicle, a black Vauxhall Corsa. Burgess drove for nearly half a mile with the man clinging to the bonnet, eventually causing him to fall off and sustain several fractured ribs and injuries to his head.
Following the incident, Burgess attempted to use a bank card from the stolen handbag at a nearby shop in Altofts. Police later identified the Corsa registered to Burgess, leading to the arrest of both suspects the same evening.
At Leeds Crown Court, Burgess, 44, of Church Lane Avenue, Outwood, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to robbery, fraud, and causing injury by dangerous driving. She was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and banned from driving for 42 months. Wilcox, 41, also of Church Lane Avenue, pleaded guilty to robbery and received a 20-month prison sentence.
PC Natalie Carr of the Wakefield District Crime Team commended the victim’s bravery, saying, “The male victim has shown immense courage in challenging wrongdoing. We all have a part to play in addressing violence against women and girls, and the female robbery victim is deeply grateful for his actions.”
The incident highlights the dangers of intervening in violent crime, and both Wilcox and Burgess have been held accountable for their actions, now serving sentences for their roles in the offence.
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