The Teenager and his gang of thuggish mates conducted a reign of terror against Roy Cropper for several months in late 2014.
They first made their presence known when Roy spotted them lounging against the wall of 19a Victoria Street, drinking from cans and watching the cafe. The next day, they left Prima Doner short-changing Chesney Brown by £1.50 and when he chased after him, threw back contempt at him. Roy was at the time watering a small box of flowers that had been erected as a memorial to Tina McIntyre and backed up Chesney's claim, turning the lad's abuse on himself. Anna Windass threw herself into the stand-off and threatened them with the police. They left - momentarily.
The lads then concentrated their venom on the easiest victim - Roy - and when he left for Blackpool the next day with Tyrone Dobbs and Fiz Stape to scatter Hayley Cropper's ashes, the lads mocked his efforts to clear up cans they had discarded behind them. They watched him climb into the car with cries of "see you later, Roy". Later that day the cafe was broken into and the flat above was ransacked. It was obvious to Roy who the culprits were. Already raw at Hayley's death, he started to retreat more and more into himself.
A few weeks later, it was Todd Grimshaw who came to Roy's rescue when the two main lads were pelting the front of the cafe with eggs. He later helped the distraught man clean the mess up.
Just before Christmas they were back, this time coming into the cafe despite the fact that Roy had barred them. Gary Windass was in there and he stood up to the four. They were unfazed but also ignorant of Gary's army background and he easily sent them packing.
Events took a bad turn though just days later when Gary found himself homeless and without money. In a moment of madness, he broke into the cafe at night and broke open the till for money and, in an equal moment of madness, Roy attacked him with a cricket bat, hospitalising the lad. Roy was mortified at his actions and was later sentenced to 100 hours of community service for ABH, a sanction he thought far too light. Gary easily forgave him for the assault.
In the end it was the unusual figure of Yasmeen Nazir who sent the lads packing. They were making for the cafe again and Gary was once more trying to stop them when Yasmeen intervened. She knew the parents of the two main ringleaders - one of them was even a Chief Inspector - and she threatened to tell them of their sons' actions. The lads walked off and, for good measure, Yasmeen did tell the police officer what his offspring had been up to. The gang was seen no more in the vicinity.
List of appearances[]
2014
- Mon 13th Oct (1)
- Mon 13th Oct (2)
- Wed 15th Oct
- Fri 17th Oct (1)
- Wed 5th Nov
- Mon 22nd Dec (2)
- Fri 26th Dec (1)
2015