Former police officer robbed two innocent men in Bradford

Jonathan Carbon, 34, was said to have left the island of Dominica to better himself in this country, but he found himself struggling with no money.

In February Carbon was using a communal kitchen at premises on Sunbridge Road to sleep in and when he was challenged by a male member of staff he said he was packing up to leave.

Prosecutor Caroline Abraham said Carbon then grabbed the man’s body camera and followed him into a corridor armed with a large knife.

As the man tried to use his phone to contact the police Carbon held the blade of the curved and serrated knife to his throat telling him: ”Give me the phone”.

Carbon fled with his belongings and the phone, but his victim was later able to identify him to the police.

Two months later Carbon confronted a motorist in Bradford city centre and told him: ”I’m going to **** you up. Have you got any money?”

Bradford Crown Court heard that during that incident Carbon was seen to have a small imitation handgun in his waistband as he made further threats to the complainant.

Miss Abraham said Carbon took the man’s mobile phone, but his victim followed him from a distance in his car and was able to flag down police officers in the Rebecca Street area.

Carbon was arrested and the man’s mobile phone was recovered.

Carbon, of no fixed abode, had no previous convictions and his barrister Jonathan Turner said he was now “riddled with remorse” and entirely ashamed of his actions.

He said Carbon came from a very good family in Dominica and had served as a police officer.

Mr Turner said Carbon had developed “a chip on his shoulder” and he felt that anyone who challenged him in this country was punishing him.

“His family haven’t heard from him since his arrest. His mother is suffering from cancer and he’s eager to return to his home country on his release from custody,” said Mr Turner.

Judge Jonathan Rose said having served as a police officer Carbon was fully aware of demands of the law and the need to comply with them.

“You came to this country to make a good life for yourself and to send money home to support the family you had left behind,” said Judge Rose.

“Having done so you sadly found that the streets of this country are not paved with gold.”

The judge said Carbon’s difficult circumstances were no justification or excuse for his behaviour.

Judge Rose said the first robbery victim had been doing his job to make sure rough sleepers were not sleeping at the premises and the attack on the second complainant was unprovoked.

Carbon was sentenced to a total sentence of five years and five months for the two robberies.