Man jailed after robbing woman following marketplace deal

A man has been jailed after he robbed a woman after arranging a sale online in Stoke-on-Trent.

Ammer Osman, 21, of Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for two-years-and-three-months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Thursday (18 September) after he admitted robbery at an earlier hearing.

It happened on Raymond Street, Shelton, in October 2023. Osman had arranged to meet a woman who was selling an iPad and a keyboard on Facebook Marketplace. He said he would pay £620 for them and £20 for the delivery.

At about 10.15am on Monday 9 October (2023), the victim met Osman to complete the sale. When he saw her carrying the items, he tried to snatch them. The victim suffered minor scratch marks to her neck following a scuffle, where Osman managed to take the iPad off her and run away. The keyboard was left at the scene.

The next day, the victim noticed the iPad was listed as for sale by a technology company on Facebook Marketplace again. We found out that Osman went to the tech company after the robbery and sold it to them for £270. They found out it was stolen when the victim attended and told them what had happened.

The same day, officers from the city proactive team arrested Osman at his home and brought him in for questioning. He was charged with robbery and brought before the courts, where he eventually pleaded guilty.

As part of his sentencing, he was also ordered to pay £228 in compensation.

PC Kirsty Lovatt, from the city proactive team, said: “We’re determined to act robustly against those responsible for robbery, burglary and theft across Staffordshire.

“By working proactively to tackle this type of crime, we were able to reduce the total amount of related crimes in 2024, when compared to 2023.

“We’re continuing to act proactively in this space and to tackle the offenders affecting local people and businesses the most.”