Two robbers have been jailed for a terrifying street attack on an York Hospital doctor after “stalking” him through the city centre.
Lewis Berkley, 25, and Gemma Ross, 32, left the consultant so shaken he is now planning to retire from the medical profession and move out of York.
Berkley, a “serial offender”, pounced on the named victim in St Andrewgate after he and Ross followed him through the city’s streets, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Amber Hobson said the incident occurred in the early hours of 12 September after the doctor, who had been working away, arrived at York Railway Station at about 2am following a train delay.
“He walked through the city centre to return home, past Lendal Bridge and onto St Helen’s Square,” said Ms Hobson.
“On Davygate, he realised he was being followed by a female, Gemma Ross. She approached him from behind, offering to take care of him.
“He initially ignored her. She began to walk beside him, asking why he was ignoring her and saying that she was homeless.”
Broke free from police

Feeling increasingly intimidated, the victim began to walk faster to try to escape Ross but as he walked into St Sampson’s Square, she was still following him.
Although this area of the city was “slightly more populated”, Ross, a heroin and crack addict, continued to follow the doctor and began walking “quicker and quicker”.
The doctor turned into St Andrewgate where Berkley “crept up” on him, before putting him in a bear hug, “swinging” him and dragging him to the ground.
The “petrified” doctor was shouting for help during the attack in which he dropped his camera bag with his phone inside. Berkley and Ross seemed deterred by the commotion and walked off.
The doctor rang police who identified the robbers from CCTV footage on Bridge Street at about 3.20am. When an officer went to arrest Berkley, he broke free as the handcuffs were being applied and ran off.
“Officers gave chase but eventually lost him,” said Ms Hobson.
He was finally arrested at a property in St Stephen’s Square in York a few days later after police forced their way in following a tip-off.
He was taken into custody where both he and Ross were charged with attempted robbery. They were released on bail to attend York Magistrates’ Court in early November.
Shoplifting spree

In the meantime, and while on bail, Berkley committed another theft and Ross went on a shoplifting spree, firstly at the Tesco store on Tadcaster Road on 13 November when she stole a “large quantity” of Yankee candles worth £320.
Officers were driving past the store at the time and arrested her again.
She was taken into custody, refused to answer police questions and bailed again, this time to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on 30 November.
Ten days before her scheduled court appearance, she stole a “large amount” of meat products from a Morrison’s store in York. She was arrested for that offence about two weeks later and this time was remanded in custody.
Both Ross and Berkley ultimately admitted attempted robbery. Berkley also admitted escaping from lawful custody and Ross admitted the two shop thefts.
They appeared for sentence at the crown court yesterday (Monday), Ross via video link from Low Newton women’s prison.
Ms Hobson said that Ross, who had been living in a homeless centre in Fishergate, had 19 previous offences to her name. At the time of the attempted robbery, she was on a community order for shoplifting.
Berkley, of St Stephen’s Square, had racked up 96 offences, including 30 thefts, during his criminal career. Since his arrest for the attack on the doctor, he had been convicted of possessing Class A drugs for which he received a three-month prison sentence.
His rap sheet also included assaulting police officers, burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking.
Fearful of the town

In a victim statement read out in court, the doctor said he had decided “not to stay in York anymore”.
He said the attack left him “covered in bruises” and that he was “unable to sit down for a number of days” due to pain in his buttock.
He was now “fearful of walking in the town…and especially at night”.
The incident had had a profound effect on both him and his family and he was now planning to “finish my career as a doctor in York and move away”.
Defence barrister Tom Jackson, for Berkley, said his client had subjected the victim to a “terrifying” attack but that it was essentially “pushing and shoving”.
Matthew Harding, for Ross, said his client had no “or very little” recollection of the incident but she was “appalled” after seeing CCTV footage of the attack.
Judge Sean Morris told the York pair: “You are both well-known criminals in this city, habitually committing crime.”
He said that Berkley and Ross had clearly planned the attack and they had both “stalked” the doctor through the city streets until “you chose your moment”.
The judge said the crime had a considerable impact on the doctor.
“He has contacted the NHS pension providers to discuss moving away from his present job and he is talking about moving his entire family out of the city of York.
“A doctor would not consider such measures unless he had been seriously affected psychologically.”
Berkley was jailed for three years and seven months. Ross was jailed for two years and eight months because she had no record for violence.