Man jailed after robbing two men in canal boats and hitting one with a brick
A man who forced his way into two canal boats and robbed two men has been jailed for 10 years.
Bradley Paul Smith, aged 36 and of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Stafford Crown Court on Monday, October 27, after being found guilty of robbing two canal boats in Tamworth.
The first incident happened in Fazeley in October 2024 and saw Smith turn up outside a canal barge in the early hours, before proceeding to bang on its door.
When the owner opened, Smith forced his way inside.
The victim managed to escape through the back entrance to the barge; however, he suffered injuries during the robbery.
The victim recognised Smith, as they had gone to a local pub together the night before the incident took place.
During the robbery, Smith took the victim's phone. Witnesses called the police, but by the time officers arrived Smith had already left the scene.
When the victim returned to his barge, he noticed cash, aftershave and a bank card missing.
In a separate incident in December last year, Smith broke into another barge in the Tamworth area.
He threatened the man inside and told him to drive him to another location in a car, which the man agreed to.
As they were driving, the man changed course for a nearby police station, prompting Smith to ask him to stop the car so he could get out.
The same victim was targeted again by Smith in January this year.
In the incident, Smith broke into his canal barge late at night and hit the victim over the head with a brick, which police said was understood to be a clear attempt to intimidate the victim following the previous incident.
Smith was arrested and charged with robbery, burglary with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, burglary of a dwelling, and intimidating a witness.
He denied all of the offences but was found guilty by the jury and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He was also ordered to serve an extended licence period of three years.
Detective Constable Emily Clachan, from Staffordshire Police's criminal investigation department, said: "Smith’s crimes were violent and intrusive. I’m pleased that we’ve been able to build all of the evidence needed to prove what he did to the jurors in court.
“Those intent on violence and theft in Staffordshire are being targeted proactively every single day as we continue to act robustly against those responsible for harm in our communities."