A Window Cleaner has been jailed for five years for robbing the betting shop next door to his home. Stephen Hewitson, 22, recruited a 14-year-old boy for the raid when he was facing eviction for £200 rent arrears. The pair were caught on CCTV wearing balaclavas, and Hewitson escaped with £900, most of which he claimed was later stolen from him. The two male staff at Chisholm's bookies on Bowesfield Road, Stockton, were bagging up the day's takings when Hewitson burst in waving a pruning saw and demanding: “Give me the money.” The second robber stood by the door armed with a hammer in case anybody came in, said prosecutor Colin Harvey. Mr Harvey said that they were quickly recognised, and one of the reasons was that Hewitson lived next door to the betting shop. Hewitson used the money to pay off his rent arrears, and another young lad stole some of the remaining cash from him. The schoolboy robber, now 15, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to three years detention in a young offender’s institution. He made a full confession and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Stephen Constantine, defending Hewitson, said his client had no previous convictions but he was desperate for money to avoid eviction from his home. While on bail he set up a business as a window cleaner in Hartlepool. Peter Wishlade, defending the boy, said that the robbery was Hewitson's idea and the youngster got nothing from it.
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