Batley man jailed after pensioner robbed at cashpoint

The 66-year-old victim was left concussed by the attack and suffered cuts and bruises, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The robbery was captured on the bank’s CCTV, and showed 26-year-old Gareth Lightowler, of Bankfoot Street, Batley, snatching the money from him.

The court was also told that the incident took place at the branch of Barclays in Dewsbury, where Lightowler was a regular customer.

Jailing him for three years Recorder Michelle Heeley said: “Watching the footage, one can only be sickened by what you see.

“You are fortunate he did not suffer greater injury. The way he went down those steps and hit the ground is shocking.”

Ewan McLachlan, prosecuting, told the court the pensioner was at the cash machine on the evening of October 25, 2013, when Lightowler and another man approached.

Initially he was apprehensive but after one of the men asked for the time and said they were withdrawing some money before going to Batley, he felt reassured.

But as he was taking his £50, he was shoved aside by Lightowler’s accomplice and he fell down the steps.

Lightowler grabbed the cash and the pair fled.

The stunned pensioner cut the back of his head and bruised his back and shoulder in the fall. He also later suffered concussion.

His wife, who was waiting for him in a car across the road, saw him lying on the pavement and rushed to his aid.

He gave her his bank card to take back to the car, worried the robbers might return for that. Lightowler, who admitted robbery, was identified from the CCTV footage.

Anastasis Tassou, mitigating, said they had not intended to hurt the man, and had only planned the robbery a short time before the attack. It was also a very stupid offence because Lightowler was a regular customer of the same bank.

Mr Tassou said Lightowler had recently lost his father, but rather than seek proper help, had taken unprescribed Temazepam in such a large dose that it “clouded his judgement”, and following his arrest he had to spend four days in Dewsbury Hospital for damage to his kidneys.