Whitby knife-point robber jailed after targeting dog walker
Mark Pelling threatened to stab the woman and her dog in January 2022
A man who attempted to carry out a knife-point robbery on a woman dog walker in Whitby has been sent to prison.
Mark Pelling, 33, approached her on a footpath over New Bridge at around 6.50am on Saturday 29 January 2022.
He pulled out a large knife and threatened the woman to hand over a small bag that was around her waist.
Unlucky for Pelling, the bag contained nothing more than dog poo bags and dog treats.
He repeated his initial threat to stab the woman’s dog, but this time he demanded that she handed over her purse.
The victim, fearing for her life but bravely managing to stay calm, replied: “What purse? I haven’t got a purse. Who brings a purse on a dog walk at six in the morning?”
Pelling then walked away empty-handed while shouting abuse at the woman.
She headed to safety and made an emergency 999 call to North Yorkshire Police just before 7am.
Response officers were quickly on the scene and made sure the victim was unharmed.
They carried out an area search for the suspect and began CCTV enquiries, but he wasn’t immediately located.
The victim was able to provide the officers with a very good description of the man, including his clothing, tattoos and a distinctive Lincolnshire accent.
Later in the day, two more officers came on duty to assist with enquiries. They both believed the description of the suspect matched a man living on the town’s Abbots Walk called Mark Pelling who was originally from Boston.
Officers attended his address and Pelling was arrested at 3pm the same day.
A search warrant was conducted at his home and a knife set was recovered.
One knife was missing, a large black handled butcher-type knife as described by the victim in her statement and first account to officers.
CCTV was also obtained which showed a man following the victim onto New Bridge and then walking away not long after the incident.
The man was wearing a distinctive pair of tracksuit bottoms that can be clearly seen on the footage.
These were in Pelling’s home.
Evidence was also recovered from Pelling’s phone which proved crucial, alongside the other compelling evidence, to place him at the crime scene.
Pelling was set to contest the charges for attempted robbery and possession of a knife in a public place.
However, on the first day of the trial on 11 September 2024, he pleaded guilty.
He was sentenced today (Wednesday 6 November 2024) at York Crown Court where he was imprisoned for two years and nine months.
"Deeply disturbing case"
Detective Constable Sam Rivers, from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said:
“A serious offender has been brought to justice in this deeply disturbing case.
“Credit must be given to the victim whose feeling of safety has naturally been affected by the ordeal.
“She is an extremely brave woman and her quick actions to report the crime proved vital.
“It allowed us to identify and arrest of the suspect. Key evidence gathered during the investigation forced Pelling’s hand to plead guilty on the first day of his trial.
“I hope this outcome provides some comfort to the victim.
“Whitby is certainly a safer place with Mark Pelling behind bars. One more knife-point robber is off the streets and, make no mistake, North Yorkshire Police is fully committed to bringing criminals like Pelling to justice.”