Pair would admit assaulting Stanley shop assistant, but deny robbery

Peter Laws, 43, and 28-year-old Corey Carr are accused of robbing the assistant of cigarette lighters at Isha’s Mini Store, in South Moor, Stanley, on Monday July 13.

Lawyers for both told a hearing at Durham Crown Court in August that the case, “is capable of being resolved”, as both defendants would plead to assault, but deny the intention when entering the premises was to rob the assistant.

When the case came back before the court on Wednesday (September 2), Tony Davis, for Laws, re-iterated that a guilty plea would be forthcoming to a charge of assault, but his client would plead not guilty to robbery.

Alleged robbery took place at Isha’s Mini Store, in South Moor, Stanley, on July 13 (Image: Google)

“The allegation is all captured on CCTV and there was an assault and cigarette lighters were taken, but the defendants maintain that was not the purpose of the enterprise, at all.

“It was a fight which broke out among the men.”

Kelly Clarke, prosecuting, said she has been unable to speak to the reviewing Crown lawyer and so pleas to robbery would be all that would be accepted at the moment.

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Judge Richard Clews agreed to adjourn the hearing for a week to enable the Crown to be consulted and to give its views over the acceptability of pleas to assault.

Both Carr, of Rydal Avenue, Stanley, and Laws, of no fixed abode, were remanded to remain in custody pending the next hearing, on September 9.

Carr appeared from Holme House Prison, Stockton, and Laws, from HMP Durham, via video link at the hearing.