TWO drunk men who helped a new-found pal after he robbed a pizza delivery man late at night in Carlisle have been sentenced.

An unidentified caller with a Carlisle accent had lured the unsuspecting victim to a non-existent address in Dale End Road, Harraby, in the early hours of July 28 last year, paving the way for the robbery.

The aim was to leave the victim confused and vulnerable, prosecutor Brendan Burke told the city’s crown court

As the delivery man was looking for the non-existent address at 2am, he was accosted by 35-year-old Billy Moorhead.

The thug demanded the food and the booze – but when told he first had to pay for the order Moorhead turned violent.

“Mr Moorhead punched him to the face and shouted at the other two men to get the food, at that point still inside the vehicle,” said Mr Burke.

Moorhead’s accomplices - Alexandru Pruna, 28, of Warwick Square, Carlisle and Jonathan David Rogers, 41, of Cumwhinton Road, Carlisle – did as they were told, grabbing the delivery – a 12-inch pizza, two packets of cigarettes, a bottle of vodka and one of coca cola - and then fleeing.

But police quickly traced the trio – because the call that lured the driver to Harraby was made on Moorhead’s phone, whose number was known to police.

Officers found the men at his house, surrounded by the half-eaten remains of their stolen meal.

Pruna and Rogers claimed they did not know Moorhead planned violence.

When arrested, they all blamed each other, said Mr Burke.

But the prosecution accepted a plea to an alternative charge of theft offered by Pruna and Rogers.

Moorhead, of Welsh Road, Harraby, has earlier admitted robbery.

The court heard that Pruna had a previous conviction for robbery in his native Romania and was currently wanted by the authorities there and the subject of a European arrest warrant.

He had 25 offences on his criminal record.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, said he was “highly intoxicated” that night. While accepting the victim was vulnerable, she said Pruna was unaware violence would be used.

“He'd never have become involved had he known violence would be used,” she said, saying Pruna had not witnessed the assault.

At the time, he was living a “chaotic” lifestyle, drinking and using drugs.

But during his time in prison, he had addressed his addiction.

The barrister added: “Mr Moorhead was not somebody he knew prior to this evening.”

Jeff Smith, for Rogers, said he had only known Pruna and Moorhead for two days.

Invited by the latter by go drinking, he had done so.

After taking home his pet dog, he decided to return to the “party” at Moorhead’s house.

The robbery happened as he was making his way there.

“Moorhead shouted ‘Get the stuff’, ‘get the gear’, and stupidly, while intoxicated, he assisted,” said Mr Smith.

Rogers too did not see violence, said the lawyer. He added that Rogers was due to start work as a drystone wall builder in the Lake District.

Recorder Paul Hodgkinson noted how Moorhead's comment to the victim, when he told him he had not deserved what happened. He told the two defendants: “He didn’t deserve that: he was undertaking a public service in a dangerous situation. He was exploited by you two.

"The plan inevitably failed because the phone call to the pizza company was made on Mr Moorhead’s phone. The three of you were found at his house, surrounded by the remains of the stolen pizza, the vodka, the coca cola, and the cigarettes.”

Pruna was jailed for 27 weeks but will remain in custody because of the European arrest warrant, while Rogers was given a 12-month community order, with 100 hours of unpaid work and a three month 9pm to 6am curfew.

Moorhead will be sentenced next month after a background reports are prepared on him.