A 22-YEAR-old Stroud man who robbed a steam railway enthusiast of his camera, wallet and mobile phone at knifepoint at Ashchurch Station, near Tewkesbury, was jailed on Thursday for three years and one month at Gloucester Crown Court. 

Jordan Foster, of Parliament Street, Stroud, committed the offence on the footbridge at Ashchurch Railway Station, on July 20, 2019, the court was told.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said: “A keen photographer and train enthusiast arrived at Ashchurch Railway Station in Tewkesbury at 9am so he could get a good position on the footbridge linking the platforms for the arrival of the Welsh Marches steam train which would be going through about an hour later.

“He had with him his Nikon camera, valued at £1,000. He was approached by Foster and they began talking about photography. Without warning Foster threatened him with a knife and made lunging movements towards him.

“Foster then demanded he hand over his possessions. The victim describes being petrified and so scared that he complied with the robber's demands. He handed over his wallet containing 200 Euros, his camera and his phone.

“Foster said to the victim, ‘Don’t follow me. Don’t call the police for 20 minutes’.”

The court was told that the incident was witnessed by a man working in nearby garden who challenged Foster as he tried to escape.

“Foster then handed over the camera, the phone and the wallet to the man and ran off. The Good Samaritan then invited the victim into his home and called the police,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard that the police later caught up with Foster, who was with a woman in the town. The knife was in her possession, along with the receipt for a transaction carried out at the post office when he exchanged the 200 Euros for pounds.

The victim later picked Foster out in an identity parade.

Then prosecutor said Foster had also been involved in an earlier incident in Tewkesbury on August 25, 2018.

Mrs Wood said: “A man was in Bishop’s Walk when he spotted a number of people walking towards him and one of the individuals was Foster, somebody he had trouble with before.

“He decided to get in a preventative strike and swung his arms about. He then describes seeing a knife being produced and when he stumbled, he was stabbed in the neck by Foster who then ran off with his accomplice.

“The victim stated that the incident had shaken him up and had to stay in hospital overnight because of his injuries.

"He later picked Foster out in an identification parade as being the man who had attacked him.”

Sarah Jenkins defending said: “Foster wasn’t carrying the knife with any intention of using it. He had it for his own safety as threats had been used against him.

“The man wasn’t hurt in the robbery incident, but he was obviously shaken up by it.

“Both offences are of a significant age and the victim's property was recovered, as was most of the money stolen."

Foster admitted the possession of a bladed article at Bishop’s Walk in Tewkesbury on August 25, 2018 and the robbery on July 20, 2019.

Judge Lawrie said to Foster: “You chose to rob a man out taking photographs. You threatened him and I have little doubt he would have been terrified by your actions.

“I have no choice but to impose an immediate custodial term. The robbery is far more serious than the possession of the knife.”

The judge also ordered Foster to pay a victim surcharge of £170.