R v Christopher Round & Anor

Facts

The two applicants, Christopher Round and Frederick Collins, were sentenced in the Crown Court at Snaresbrook for offences arising out of two robberies. On 26 December 2024 Collins and another man approached James Eves in Edgefield Avenue, pushed him against a parked car, held a knife to his neck and threatened to cut his throat, taking a mobile telephone worth around £1,000 and a wallet containing £15 before marching him to a cash machine, where he was made to withdraw £250 under threat of the knife. On 13 April 2025 both applicants smashed their way into a Paddy Power betting shop, Collins armed with two knives and Round carrying two metal pipes taped together which he used as an imitation firearm; Round threatened the counter staff member Mr Gogu and took approximately £530, Collins robbed a customer, Mr Neacsa, of a wallet and telephone, and another customer, Mr Vaitkus, sustained two superficial slash wounds. Collins pleaded guilty on 30 July 2025 to three robberies and having a bladed article; Round pleaded guilty on 24 September 2025 to robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent. Both were found dangerous and given extended sentences on 4 November 2025, revisited at a slip rule hearing on 17 December 2025. The Registrar referred the applications for leave to appeal against sentence to the full court because the extended sentences appeared unlawfully structured.