Pizza man robbed as he made a delivery

In the dock was Dean McBride (22), from Strand Road, who admitted a charge of robbery on January 3, 2013. The court was told that a pizza was ordered and the number of the person ordering it was not recognised. At 3am, when the van driver stopped at the Strathfoyle address to open a gate, two men including McBride, approached him.

The other man grabbed the delivery man by the T-shirt tearing it, before making off with the pizza and the hot bag. Some days later a man was arrested for another incident and while in custody asked police to phone McBride. The number he gave was the same as that used to order the pizza. A subsequent identity parade resulted in McBride being picked out.

Judge Philip Babington said McBride had a very poor record, with 26 previous convictions.

He said the defendant was convicted in 2011 of another charge of robbery, in which a vehicle was taken from an elderly couple. McBride was sentenced to two years in custody in respect of that offence. The court heard that McBride was released on August 9, 2013, and over the next six months was convicted of three different offences.

In March 2014 his licence was revoked and Judge Babington said it was not before time adding his licence should have been revoked earlier. He noted McBride was due for release in August 2015 and the new sentence would only begin then. He sentenced McBride to two years in prison with nine months in custody and 15 months on licence.