Moped bandits 'stole phones from Westcliff people in the street'

Two men are standing trial at Basildon Crown Court with a jury hearing they were involved in a set of robberies in the town on the same day.

It is alleged Harry Pavitt, 30, of The Slades, Basildon, and Alexander Searle, 30, of HMP The Mount, drove mopeds around Westcliff while a third man, riding on the same vehicle as Pavitt, snatched iPhones and handbags from people.

Searle is alleged to have driven behind and intervened if victims tried to fight back for their items.

Both men deny two counts of robbery, attempted robbery and one count of theft.

Prosecuting, Mark Hunsley told the jury yesterday that all incidents took place within a short period of time on July 31, 2018.

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He said: “The first matter was at 9.45pm, the woman was walking home from the gym towards Westcliff.

“She was calling her mother who she hadn’t spoken to for some time.

“She felt as is someone had put their hand through her hair.

“She saw two mopeds, the passenger had grabbed her phone and had also grabbed some of her hair, and scratched at some of her hand. She lost her iPhone.”

A second incident saw the victim threatened as he attempted to grab his phone back.

Mr Hundsley added: “The second matter was a man walking to Sainsbury’s on London Road in Westcliff and had got out phone to make a call.

“He stopped outside Sainsbury’s to send a text and became aware of a headlight approaching behind him.

“The moped had two people on it. It went past him and the passenger grabbed the phone from his right hand.

“He tried to grab it back and the second moped with a single occupant pulled up alongside him and blocked his way and said ‘what do you think you’re doing blood?’

“He took this as a threat to not get involved and went into Sainsbury’s and called the police.”

Mr Hunsley said the passenger who was snatching the items had already admitted his role, while Pavitt denies being there, and Searle, while admitting he was on the moped denies being involved or knowing what the other two men were doing.

He added to the jury: “It will be for you to decide if he was part of those offences or if he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The trial continues.