A “STICK-UP” JOB

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 122, 16 February 1935, Page 18

A “STICK-UP” JOB

Young Soldiers’ Shop Raid

Allegations that when he was alone in his shop one evening two men entered, and one of them told him to “stick ’em up” were made at Marylebone by a wine merchant. Victor Cyril Hookham and John Arthur Chaplin, two young privates in the Queen’s Royal Regiment, stationed at Aidershot, were charged on remand with being concerned with a third man in assaulting Thomas Edward Sandels, licensee of a stores in Church Street, Edgware Road, W., while they were armed with an offensive weapon (an automatic pistol), with intent to rob.

They were also accused of having the weapon in their possession with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, and without a lawful object.

Mr. Sandels related in evidence that one evening he was alone in his shop, standing by the counter with the flap up, when two men entered, As they approached the counter, the taller man called out “Stick ’em up,” and repeated the demand several times.

At the same time he held his right arm up with what appeared to be a revolver in his hand. The other man then approached him (witness) at the back, seized him by both wrists and pushed him in the direction of the cash register. He was taken back by the suddenness of the attack, and called out, "What’s your game?” At that moment two customers, a young man and woman, entered, and the young woman, seeing what was happening, shouted and disturbed the men, who immediately ran out of the shop. They went in pursuit, but the men got away. „ Mr. Sandels added that in the cash register at the time was about £34.

Miss Emma Warwick, the young woman referred to. who lives in Grove Road, St. John’s Wood, stated that as

she entered the shop she heard Mr. .Sandels exclaim, “Revolver. Hands up. What do you mean?” He seemed very upset. ■ P.S. Stephenson described the arrest of the two men the following morning in a phone box at the junction of Cricklewood Lane and Finchley Road, N.W., and alleged that he found in Hookham’s pocket an unloaded automatic pistol. “The game’s up,” Hookham was alleged to have remarked. "We did a stick-up job last night.”' In a statement, it was alleged, Hookham described how, ajfter being granted a month’s leave on November 2, he and Private Chaplin, stayed at his home in Brighton until November 30, and then came to London.

On Saturday, December 1, while walking round Marylebone, they saw the offi-license in Church Street with the name Sandel over the shop. “We both looked into the shop through the door,” the alleged statement proceeded, “and I saw a woman and a man standing behind the counter. We discussed about holding the man and woman up in the off-license shop. While standing here a policeman passed up, and we then decided to raici the shop. We returned to the shop and both entered. “I pulled out an automatic repeater —the one found on me this morning by the police—which I pointed at the man. ‘Stick ’em up!’ I said. The man replied. ‘All right.'

“Cmiplin then attempted to go behind the counter to get to the till, but the man caught hold of him and stopped him. Chaplin tried to push the man out of the way. but found he was too heavy.

“Just at that moment three people entered the shop, and I said to Chaplin, who was still struggling with the man. “Cyme on, run.” Both men were sent for trial at the Old Bailey.