A ‘BULLY’ robbed a man with learning difficulties of his electric bike and two days later threateningly urged him to drop his complaint to police.

Jack Tuttle’s attempt to evade justice came to nought as he was jailed for two years at Durham Crown Court for robbery and doing an act attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Tuttle, 21, of Victoria Street, Shotton Colliery, who had not previously served a prison sentence, admitted both offences.

The court heard they stemmed from an incident on September 6, last year, when a 29-year-old man with learning difficulties was riding his electric bike in Shotton Colliery.

Louise Harrison, prosecuting, said he came across Tuttle and a companion, who asked for a ride, before the defendant pushed him from the bike.

Tuttle picked it up and rode off on it, while the victim later saw the other man using it, and asked for its return, to no avail.

Miss Harrison said two days later it was reportedly seen in the village, but the owner again failed to locate the bike.

On his return home, Tuttle and the other man turned up at the doorstep and confronted the owner and his father, asking why it had been reported to police.

Tuttle became aggressive, telling the owner if he withdrew the complaint he would be reunited with the bike.

Miss Harrison told the court: “He felt alarmed and intimidated, and was shaking, fearing for the repercussions.

“He used his mobile phone to contact police and told them he wanted to drop the complaint.”

As he was accused of making a fake call, he activated the speaker, enabling the call handler to hear Tuttle in the background uttering threats to the complainant and his father.

Miss Harrison said at the end of the call Tuttle told the owner that the bike would be found on a grassy area in the village, but it required £180 worth of repairs.

Jennifer Coxon, mitigating, said the defendant has only one previous conviction and his actions over those two days were out of character, coming after a split with his long-term partner, causing him to begin taking sleeping pills excessively.

Jailing him, Judge Christopher Prince told Tuttle he displayed, “threatening, bullying behaviour” on a vulnerable man with learning difficulties.

“You’re clearly capable of being aggressive and a bully to intimidate other people, as witnessed by these events.”