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JAILED: Robber targeted disabled father and his teenage daughter in terrifying ordeal

A robber who put a Parkinson's Disease sufferer and his teenage daughter through a terrifying night-time ordeal has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

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The father and daughter were woken in the middle of the night and frogmarched downstairs by masked intruder Gary Grove who broke in by smashing a window.

The 25-year-old squeezed past the mobility scooter at the foot of the stairs to reach the bedroom of Christopher Shakespeare who he woke up.

Grove, who was on licence from prison after serving a sentence for aggravated burglary, demanded: 'Where is your money and gold? Give me what you have or I will injure her' – referring to Mr Shakespeare's 16-year-old daughter who was asleep in the next room.

Grove was handed a wallet with £240 cash by Mr Shakespeare who he knew was ill but still put a hand across the mouth of the father while leading him downstairs at the property in Pedmore Walk, Oldbury.

Mr Shakespeare, whose wife was in hospital at the time of the July 15 break-in, was ordered to stay there while the defendant woke the girl and took her to join her father.

He told the terrified teenager: "If you lie I will hit him."

Mr Timothy Sapcote, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "This was a targeted offence of a vulnerable person. Handles outside the door through which the defendant broke in and the mobility scooter at the bottom of the staircase were obvious symbols that somebody disabled lived there.

"He later admitted he knew the man suffered from Parkinson's Disease."

Grove rifled through drawers and cupboards before escaping with a haul that included the money, a pocket watch, three mobile phones, an iPad and an iPod.

A look-out was outside the house during the robbery.

The mask worn only covered part of his face and police recognised the description of the intruder, whose previous convictions included a string of burglaries.

They found him at the home of a relative in nearby Ombersley Road shortly afterwards. The stolen property and his brother were also at the address.

Mr Shakespeare said in a statement: "I have to live a stress-free life otherwise it affects my disease. My Parkinson's has got worse since this."

Grove, of Martley Road, Oldbury pleaded not guilty claiming it was a case of mistaken identity and alleged the real culprit was his brother.

Defending him, Mr John Evans said after conviction: "He still stands by that." The jury did not believe him and unanimously convicted him of robbing the father and daughter.

The defendant aimed a furious verbal attack from the dock at both Judge Barry Berlin and the jury at the verdict.

He refused to apologise and had six months added for contempt of court to his seven-year robbery sentence.

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