‘One-man crimewave’ who began profession at 11 again in jail after BB gun housebreaking

A career criminal from Barnsley, who started his life of crime at the tender age of 11, has been locked up once more for a terrifying robbery where he threatened a neighbour with a BB gun to nick her handbag.

Shane Charlotte, aged 44, from Greenset View, stormed into the lady’s home in Wood Park View with his face covered by a balaclava and an imitation shooter in hand on March 2.

Sheffield Crown Court was told that the 72-year-old victim was at home with her teenage grandson and his girlfriend at around 6.30pm when Charlotte pounced. Prosecutor Camille Morland recounted: “The front door was unlocked and the defendant suddenly came into the house and into the kitchen. The woman was downstairs on her own sat at the table.

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“She went on to say he came right up to her and was in her sight for a couple of seconds. She didn’t recognise him but he shouted, ‘Give me your f****** money Mary’

“He had a firearm in his right hand. She described it as a handgun and said it looked real to her. He was wearing a black balaclava and black clothing. He moved quickly towards her bag and grabbed it. He turned as if he was going to leave and she grabbed her bag and he pushed her. She hit the table with the top of her back.”

Yorkshire Live reports that when the woman shouted for her grandson, he confronted Charlotte at the bottom of the stairs. That’s when Charlotte “pointed the gun” at the boy’s head and snarled: “I’ll f****** shoot you” before running away.

Ms Morland revealed: “He [the boy] said he believed he was going to be shot and was in fear for his life. The police were called as soon as the defendant had left.”

The court heard how Charlotte brandished a BB gun during the offence, later using the victim’s bank card at a local Nisa store where he was a regular. He racked up three transactions totalling £5.95, £64.10, and £29.33.

His identity was confirmed by the shopkeeper and an officer from CCTV footage.

Charlotte pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, two counts of possession of an imitation firearm, and one count of aggravated burglary.

Ms Morland pointed out that Charlotte had a long criminal history with 81 previous offences, first stepping into the courtroom at just 11 years old. His previous crimes include violence, damage, burglary, public order, and drug offences.

In defence, Emily Hassell argued: “There is no evidence she was targeted on the basis of her vulnerability… When the bank card was used in the local shop, low value goods were purchased and given he was a well-known regular user of the shop, the fact he would have been identified by the shop keeper would have been known to him, which the defence says supports a lack of planning.”

The judge acknowledged: “It’s accepted that in terms of his clothing – that being the balaclava – and the carrying of an imitation firearm, the offence of course has some degree of planning and organisation.”

Judge Slater subsequently sentenced Charlotte to seven years in prison, with a requirement to serve two-thirds of the sentence before being eligible for release on licence.

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