Joseph Crabbe has been jailed (Picture: Kent Police)
An armed robber who attacked his innocent victim and his pet dog has been jailed.
Joseph Crabbe and an accomplice broke into his victim’s home in the Kent village of Cliffe on the night of July 19, 2021.
The homeowner heard them and asked them to leave – but the duo then attacked him with a snooker cue, pinning him to the sofa, stabbing him in the head with a screwdriver and holding a knife to his neck.
Crabbe, 37, and his accomplice demanded valuables but when their victim didn’t hand them over, they started hurting his dog.
He then handed over his watch and wallet, and provided the PIN to his bank cards.
The victim was assaulted again and his arms and legs were bound with flex before Crabbe and his accomplice ran away.
A passing driver saw the pair running through the village, and followed them as he thought they were acting suspiciously. They got into a car and drove off with the headlights off.
The same driver then found the victim, standing in the middle of the road in a ‘distressed state’ after managing to free himself.
Police were called and the victim received hospital treatment for extensive cuts and bruises.
Officers used ANPR to track the car – which was owned by one of Crabbe’s relatives and was seen driving to and from the crime scene.
Crabbe’s DNA was also found on a hammer left at the victim’s home.
Police finally tracked him down and arrested him in February 2022. Crabbe, from Chatham, was charged with robbery and with being unlawfully at large in connection to breaching licence conditions imposed following a previous conviction.
He pleaded guilty at Maidstone crown court last week and was sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail.
Crabbe will have to serve at least two-thirds of his prison sentence before he can be considered for parole, and will be subject to an additional three years on licence once released.
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Detective Constable Emma Laimbeer said: ‘This was an extremely violent attack on a victim inside their own home.
‘The cowardly actions of Crabbe and his accomplice were no doubt terrifying, as they thought only of stealing any valuables they could find.
‘I would like to commend the victim who has shown considerable courage assisting us to bring Crabbe to justice.
‘I would also like to thank the member of the public whose quick thinking assisted us to identify the vehicle used by the criminals.
‘He then assisted the injured victim, and ensured the emergency services were alerted.’
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