Locked up: Teen who robbed Leeds bus dressed as Hannibal Lecter

Morgan Robertson, 18, terrified the driver as he boarded the bus with his face covered bythe mask similar to the one worn by the character played by Anthony Hopkins in the film Silence of the Lambs.

A court heard Robertson threatened the First Leeds bus driver with a 12-inch knife as he was counting his takings at Moor Grange bus terminus, Latchmere Drive, on December 9 last year.

The driver handed over £200 but was then ordered to hand over a cash box. Robertson then forced the driver to empty his pockets before taking his mobile phone.

The teenager then ran into a block of flats nearby and changed his clothes before ordering a taxi.

The taxi dropped him off near to Horsforth Cricket Club where he dumped the clothes from the robbery along with the cash box before going to his girlfriend’s home nearby.

Police were able to track down the details of the taxi journey. They found the clothes and cash box after searching the area around the cricket club.

Robertson, of Marshall Street, Yeadon, was arrested and pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.

Holly Betke, mitigating, said Robertson was high on drugs and alcohol at the time and committed the offence to pay of drug debts.

He was sent to a young offenders institution for three years. Recorder David Gordon said: “This was a shocking incident - an attack on a public servant.”

After the case Det Insp Neil Thompson, of Leeds District Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “Robertson would have presented an intimidating figure to the victim in this robbery.

“He was caught as a direct result of thorough detective work that traced his movements from the scene and recovered key items of evidence that linked him to the crime.

“We hope the significant sentence he has received will provide some source of reassurance to his victim and the wider community and illustrate to others the serious penalties people who commit these types of offences can expect to face.”