Calne teenager faces jail after phone robbery (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Calne teenager faces jail after phone robbery

1:42pm Tuesday 9th March 2010

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A teenager has been warned he could face a lengthy jail term after admitting robbing someone of their mobile phone.

Joshua Jones was due to face trial by judge and jury on the charge at Swindon crown court today.

But the 19-year-old changed his plea to admit carrying out the offence before a jury could be sworn in on the first morning of the trial.

Jones, of Newcroft Close, Calne, pleaded guilty to robbing a man of a Sony Ericsson mobile phone on Thursday August 27.

Alex Daymond, defending, asked the court to adjourn the case to allow the probation service to compile a pre-sentence report.

“I recognise this is a serious offence and there may be only one sentence that this court can impose,” he said.

“He is 19 years old, never been in custody before, and this is his first adult conviction.”

Mr Daymond said that he could not explain why he had changed his plea after the judge asked him if it was as a result of reading the witness statements or ‘remembering what he had done’.

Judge David Ticehurst agreed whoever passed sentence should have the benefit of a report prepared by the probation service.

He adjourned the case to Wednesday April 14 and released Jones back on bail until then but warned him he could receive a lengthy prison sentence.

The judge said “A previous Lord Chief Justice said young men who steal mobile phones in the way you did should expect a prison sentence in the region of three years.”

He asked the teenager how he felt about that and the defendant replied ‘Bad’ from the dock, which the judge said was ‘probably an understatement’.

Releasing him Judge Ticehurst said it would not be him passing sentence but all options including immediate custody were open.

He said “No promises are being held open to you because I am adjourning for a report, do you understand that?”

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