Norwich: Pharmacy raider fails to overturn conviction

James Youngers, 43, was jailed for 13 years for using an imitation gun during an attempted hold up at the Vauxhall Street Pharmacy, in Suffolk Square, Norwich, in October 2020.

Pharmacist and owner Maz Moaddabi, who was behind the counter, described the terrifying moment Youngers produced what appeared to be a gun in the busy chemists demanding he hand over prescription drugs.

“He started swearing and then he took his gun out and it was only then that I realised what was going on,” he said.

The robber fled empty-handed after being confronted and was later arrested after being identified on CCTV.

Vauxhall Street Pharmacy in Norwich which James Youngers attempted to rob using an imitation gun (Image: Newsquest)

Youngers, formerly of Dibden Road, Norwich, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and was sentenced to eight years in prison and a further five years on licence in April last year.

But in a written application seeking leave to appeal against his conviction, heard at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, he claimed he had been subjected to “duress by police officers” and was the “victim of corruption”.

Finding “no merit” in his appeal, a panel of three judges said he had been “fully cogent and capable” when he admitted the offences.

They said his application was also 574 days over the deadline for an appeal to be submitted.

James Youngers had applied to the Court of Appeal in a bid to overturn his conviction (Image: PA)

Her Honour Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: “There is no prospect of a successful appeal. The applicant knew in any event that he had to bring any appeal in time and he failed to do so by a very considerable margin.”

The judges ordered he serve a further 14 days on his sentence after imposing a loss of time order, designed to discourage appeals that “waste time and resources”.