Man held up Middlesbrough Chinese takeaway with imitation pistol in 'cry for help' not for cash

Sep 07, 2023

Assistant gave Joseph Hollywood £20 when he held up a pretend pistol

Get the latest news from Teesside Crown Court direct to your inbox with our free email newsletter

We have more newsletters

A mentally ill man who held up a chinese takeaway was crying out for help, and he was not interested in getting hold of a "significant sum of money" a court has heard.

Joseph Hollywood, 27, carried out the robbery at 'Flower Drum' takeaway, on Kestrel Avenue, Middlesbrough, on the evening of July 24. The shop assistant asked him why she should give him any money and he held up his pistol and threatened to climb over the counter. He was given £20.

Teesside Crown Court has heard that police then studied CCTV and were able to find Hollywood in the early hours of the next morning, not far away, on Cargo Fleet Lane. He was ordered to the ground, and police took his imitation firearm off him. It was not capable of firing shots.

READ MORE: Employee who was held at gunpoint in armed robbery began stealing £10K in lottery tickets within weeks

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said that the shop assistant was, "scared and worried about returning to work" after the hold-up.

Hollywood was released by police whilst they carried out their investigations; but Ms Haigh said that his mental health declined. On September 4, his mum called a crisis service to say that her son had threatened to harm himself.

She later called the police to say he had left the family home with a number of knives. Hollywood was found by officers in the car park at Tesco's at Coulby Newham. Police took a knife off him and arrested him.

Hollywood, of Longhirst, in Coulby Newham, pleaded guilty to robbery, the possession of a bladed article in a public place and to the possession of an imitation firearm. He was sectioned under the mental health act shortly afterwards.

Hollywood stood in court on Friday, after receiving a period of treatment at Roseberry Park Hospital. Robert Mochrie, defending, said that his client had "experienced a significant decline in his emotional wellbeing at the time of the robbery.

"His motivation was not to obtain a significant sum of money but a cry for help. He has longstanding mental health issues, and fluctuating and irrational behaviour."

Hollywood's family listened from the public gallery as Mr Mochrie continued: "His mother stands by him vehemently. She has suffered too, having to see him decline and re-build, and decline again."

Judge Howard Crowson told him: "You walked into the takeaway in a blue hooded top, pulled over your chin, in a poor attempt to disguise yourself. You produced an imitation firearm - we know it couldn't discharge any shots - but the person on the other side, looking at it, they didn't know that.

"It's very frightening to them. It's clear to me, that over the years, you have suffered from mental health issues that sometimes overwhelm you."

The judge jailed Hollywood for two-years-and-six-months, but told him the 130-days that he had spent at home on an electronic tag, before sentencing, would count towards his prison term. Hollywood's family sobbed, as the judge said that all his mental health records would be sent to prison with him, to ensure that he can be treated.