A ROBBER held up three teenagers at knifepoint in a terrifying midnight encounter near York city centre - threatening to slit their throats.

Monday, 16 September 2024 12:36

By Megi Rychlikova

Jason Francis Smith, 48, told the youths: “You don’t know who you are messing with” and “I will slit all your throats” as he gave them five seconds to hand over money, said Kelly Clarke, prosecuting.

But only one of the three handed over money and a watch. A second filmed Smith on his mobile phone.

In a personal statement, one teenager told York Crown Court he is now terrified of the location where Smith accosted them and he will never forget the incident.

Smith has 148 previous convictions including several robberies and carrying a knife in public.

He was convicted of three robberies when he was just 15 and has served long prison terms since for locking a bank manager in a car boot and robbing him, slashing a bookmaker’s assistant and smashing up a city centre restaurant.

At one stage he was banned from 205 shops in York because he was a habitual shoplifter.

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