Nine years in prison for man who robbed Corby taxi driver

A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his part in the robbery of a Corby taxi driver in 2019.

William Hugh Smith, 37, of no fixed abode, took part in the Kensington Walk robbery alongside 38-year-old Shaun Alexander who is already serving six years and nine months for the offence.

The incident happened just after 1am on June 1, 2019, when the taxi driver made his way to the Corby street to pick up a person called “Lucy”.

When he arrived at the location, Alexander and Smith got in, claiming “Lucy” was one of their girlfriends and she would be down in a minute.

However, one of the men then pulled a handgun from his pocket and demanded the driver hand over all his money from the taxi as well as his wallet. The two men then made off.

In a victim impact statement, the taxi driver described fearing for his life during the incident – “I honestly felt like I was going to be killed” and how, since the events of that night – “I still can’t sleep now and I am having nightmares. I have woken on a few nights screaming and having a nightmare and I have never had this before.”

Alexander was swiftly arrested and charged in connection with the incident and convicted for his part in the offence in November 2019.

However the investigation continued and Smith was also arrested and charged. This week, he was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court to nine years in prison.

Detective Inspector Dave Harley, said: “I am really pleased with the fact Smith has been handed nine years in prison for his part in this very serious crime and that he now joins Alexander behind bars, where frankly – they both belong.

“This case demonstrates that even when we get one conviction for a crime, the investigation does not just come to an end.

“We were absolutely determined to bring both of these men to justice and I’m really pleased for the victim, who has shown tremendous courage throughout this case, that we have managed to do so.

“This was one of a number of robberies that took place in Corby at the start of June 2019 which rightly worried the community at the time.

“I hope these convictions show how relentless we will be in ensuring those who commit violent crime are caught and brought to justice, no matter how long ago the crime took place.

“Finally, I would like to highlight the outstanding work of DC Lee Norton, the lead investigator in the case, who has worked tirelessly on this investigation to get the right result – he has been resolute, persistent and tenacious throughout and I am really pleased to see his hard work rewarded.”