How exactly does a young mum, aged 23, end up as a getaway driver in an armed robbery instead of going on a hot date with an old friend she reconnected with on Facebook?
In the teeny tiny town of Ferndale, about 20 miles north of Cardiff in Wales, Leah Gibbs was exchanging flirty messages with 21-year-old Adam Minton.
She told The Mirror, “I was so excited about going out with Adam…He was tall, dark and handsome with twinkly eyes – it was a welcome break from the grind of being a single mum looking after my two daughters…”.
When she arrived at Minton’s house the following day, he immediately asked her for a lift to the local betting shop Ladbrokes. She relunctantly agrees, assuming he wanted to place a bet. (I can’t help but think that has got to be a clue to the man’s character, but there you go…)
He ran out of Ladbrokes, a knife in hand and a bandana covering his face, towards the car and screamed “Drive, drive, drive” as he jumped in. (Now you see, again, I can’t help but think that the whole knife and bandana thing is yet another good reason to lock the door and speed off WITHOUT him…)
A Ladbrokes’ employee had deployed a silent alarm and gave the cops Leah Gibbs’ registration plate number. It wasn’t long before the cops caught up with them.
She spent the night behind bars and was released the next day, when Minton admitted to acting alone. He made off with £245, about $390 USD.
Minton has been handed a four-and-a-half year jail sentence.
Ms Gibbs has reportedly concluded that “it was a date from hell.”
This is not the first time that Facebook meetings have led to sour evenings. You might remember the shocking story of a Facebook blind date and a supermarket robbery. You can watch video below.
(Enjoy this video? Why not check out the SophosLabs YouTube channel?)
Ending up as a getaway driver on a Facebook date may be an end to an evening which is hard to predict, but remember to always be careful about who you meet up with online.
Not everyone may be worthy of the title of “Facebook friend”.
