South Yorkshire robber from Barnsley is jailed after he warned his victim "snitches get stitches"

A robber has been jailed after stealing a woman’s benefit money in her own home and sending an intimidating letter with threats for his victim.
By Jon Cooper
Published 24th Dec 2021, 07:56 BST
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 21 how Zach Marriott, aged 35, of Tune Street, near Worsbrough Common, Barnsley, visited his victim’s home where he demanded money and stole her £85 welfare cash before he wrote to her housemate demanding his victim retract her statement.

Recorder David Gordon told Marriott: “You no doubt knew she was petrified of you and nevertheless you demanded money from her.”

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Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said Marriott – who knew the victim – visited her Barnsley home with another unknown man when he demanded the cash.

Pictured is Zach Marriott, aged 35, of Tune Street, near Worsbrough Common, Barnsley, who was sentenced to 32 months of custody with a 10-year restraining order after he admitted a robbery and intimidating his victim with a letter with threats.Pictured is Zach Marriott, aged 35, of Tune Street, near Worsbrough Common, Barnsley, who was sentenced to 32 months of custody with a 10-year restraining order after he admitted a robbery and intimidating his victim with a letter with threats.
Pictured is Zach Marriott, aged 35, of Tune Street, near Worsbrough Common, Barnsley, who was sentenced to 32 months of custody with a 10-year restraining order after he admitted a robbery and intimidating his victim with a letter with threats.
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Mr Sharp added that Marriott’s victim said she did not have any cash but the defendant smacked her across the face with a tobacco pouch, and after she reached into a coat where she had her benefit money he stole her £85.

Marriott admitted committing the offence to fund his drug habit but while he was remanded in custody he wrote an intimidating letter to one of the victim’s two housemates with threats aimed at the complainant.

The letter asked the housemate to tell the complainant that he held no hard feelings but her statements needed to be retracted and he stated, “remember snitches get stitches” and they had better sort it out.

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Marriott also stated he could hold a grudge and he was willing to serve a life sentence before he apologised but still demanded the statement be retracted.

The defendant, who has 60 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery and admitted intimidation which was committed in November shortly after the robbery. He also accepted breaching a previous sentence of 16 weeks of custody suspended for 12 months which had been imposed in September.

Richard Canning, defending, told the court Marriott had not committed robbery before and there was no repetition of the threats.

He said: “Having sent that letter there was no repetition of any threats and the threats were not carried out in person. This is not a sustained attempt by somebody to pervert the course of justice.”

Recorder Gordon sentenced Marriott to 32 months of custody and made him subject to a ten-year restraining order to protect the complainant and her housemates.