Peterborough brother and sister who stole £30 from man at cash point sentenced

A brother and sister who stole £30 from a man at a cash point in Peterborough have been sentenced.

John and Laura Ptolomey followed their victim – a man in his 40s – as he was walking along Bakers Lane, Woodston, at about 11pm on 26 April.

The pair, who knew the man, surrounded him as he drew out cash from an ATM at the Esso garage, claiming his partner owed them money and threatened to “get someone down there” if he did not hand over cash.

John, 39, grabbed £30 as it was produced from the machine while Laura, 37, held the man’s jacket so he couldn’t run away.

The incident was captured on CCTV and reported to police, who arrested the pair the following month.

They appeared at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (8 December) after denying a charge of robbery, but both pleading guilty to theft which was accepted in court.

John, of Central Avenue, Dogsthorpe, was sentenced to 16 months in prison while Laura, of Huntly Road, Woodston, was sentenced to 11 months in prison, suspended for two years and must complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR).

Detective Sergeant Justin Parr said: “John and Laura intimidated their victim and threatened violence in order to get what they wanted.

“I would like to commend the victim for supporting this prosecution as I know it took a lot of courage for him to speak out about this pair.”