Screwdriver-wielding couple jailed for violent Sheffield city centre street robbery

A couple who subjected a woman to a violent and terrifying city centre street street robbery with a screwdriver have been jailed for more than a decade in total.
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Natasha Wallace, 28, and her partner Shaun Tomlinson, 36, both of Coningsby Road, Sheffield, were sentenced for robbery and possession of a bladed article at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday.

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Wallace, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for robbery, with another year to be served concurrently for possession of a bladed article.

Tomlinson and Wallace have both been jailed.Tomlinson and Wallace have both been jailed.
Tomlinson and Wallace have both been jailed.
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Tomlinson, who tried to blame Wallace for the offences, was found guilty by a jury and received a six-year custodial sentence. He was also sentenced to an additional year for possession of a bladed article, to run concurrently.

PC Helen Timms said: “Wallace and Tomlinson were on Spital Hill in Sheffield on the morning of Saturday 18 May, when they carried out a vicious attack on an vulnerable 51 year old woman who was simply waiting at a bus stop.“Wallace, completely unprovoked, began attacking the victim with an umbrella, and tried to forcibly take the lady’s handbag.

“Joining the assault, Tomlinson proceeded to threaten the victim with a screwdriver and managed to snatch the bag, which was later found just 100 yards away.

“CCTV footage led to the pair being arrested in the city centre shortly after the attack.

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“On arrest, officers found Tomlinson to be in possession of a large pair of broken scissors and a claw hammer.

“Tomlinson and Wallace were brazen and shameless in carrying out this attack and left their victim with injuries to her face and hands. I cannot imagine how terrified the victim was that morning and I would like to commend her for being so very dignified throughout the investigation.

“It took the jury just ten minutes to find Tomlinson guilty yesterday and he, and his partner, are now quite rightly behind bars.

"I hope the public are reassured by this result and that it demonstrates how hard we are working to ensure criminals like Wallace and Tomlinson are off the streets.”