Cleadon robbery: Masked Sunderland duo jailed

William Bogie and Leanne Craggs wore masks and Bogie brandished a machete

A man and woman who donned Halloween masks to rob a delivery driver at knife point have been jailed.

William Bogie, 45, waved a machete at the driver and threatened to "chop him up", Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The attack happened early on 15 May as Bogie and accomplice Leanne Craggs, 43, followed the newspaper delivery man on his rounds in Cleadon.

Det Con Chris Sengelow, of Northumbria Police, said it was an "appalling incident" for the driver.

"It must have been a shocking ordeal for victim, who remained calm despite the despicable and threatening actions of the offenders involved," he said.

"Thanks to CCTV footage found ahead of the robbery, and key evidence stashed at Craggs' home, the jury were able to see through Bogie's denial."

Halloween masks worn by the pair were recovered by police

Bogie, from Somerset Cottages in Sunderland, pleaded not guilty to robbery, possessing a knife, breach of bail conditions and driving while disqualified but was convicted by a jury on 22 November.

He was jailed on Monday for six and a half years.

Craggs, of Villiers Street in Sunderland, had pleaded guilty in November to robbery and was sentenced on Monday to three years and seven months in prison.

The court heard the driver had been delivering newspapers to the One Stop shop when Bogie and Craggs got out of the Nissan Juke they had used to follow him.

As Bogie stole the man's van, Craggs drove their car away.

The victim was physically uninjured but left shaken, police said.

Newspapers were found in Craggs' home and a nearby back lane

Bogie was identified on CCTV at a petrol station a few hours before the attack, wearing the same clothes.

Detectives later searched Craggs' home and found two Halloween masks and a large stack of newspapers, dated the same day as the attack, both inside the property and in a nearby back lane.

The stolen van, worth £25,000, was later found by police on patrol.