Teenager who assaulted pensioner jailed two years (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Teenager who assaulted pensioner jailed two years

9:32am Monday 14th January 2008 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

A teenager thug who assaulted a pensioner as he tried to rob him just days after being caught for another mugging has been jailed for two years.

Thomas Read targeted the 68-year-old with mental health problems as he looked in shop windows in the town centre.

The 18-year-old grabbed at Frank Clark's shopping bags and pulled so hard he threw him to the ground.

And the attack came just two weeks after Read punched another victim to the ground before stealing his wallet and spectacles.

In that attack the court heard the teenager was neither drunk or on drugs but simply showing off to two young boys who were with him.

Those boys, aged 13 and 14 years old, also admitted taking part in the robbery and will be sentenced by the youth court.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court the first offence took place shortly after midnight on Tuesday October 30 last year.

He said 23-year-old Luke Turner was walking from the bus station towards town when three youths appeared in front of him blocking his path.

The victim continued towards the underpass at Fleming Way when he was grabbed from behind and started demanding his money and phone and started rummaging though his pockets.

Mr Meeke said read then punched him on the nose causing him to fall to the ground and his glasses to come off leaving him unable to see what was happening.

Mr Turner was then kicked a number of times and his wallet taken before the three ran away from the scene.

After CCTV footage was examined the three youths were identified and admitted what they had done.

Read was released on bail and two weeks later, again shortly after midnight on Tuesday November 13, he targeted Mr Clark.

The court heard CCTV operators were watching Read as he walked in town and went up to his elderly victim who was holding two or three carried bags.

The teenager then grabbed hard at the bags but as he pulled Mr Clark held on and was pulled over backwards to the ground.

As the bags split and their contents spilled out he ran off with the two other youths who were with him.

Read, of The Foyer, Bath Road, admitted robbery and assault with intent to rob.

Tony Bignall, defending, said that the incidents were both impulsive offences and the first was committed to impress the younger boys.

He said no weapon was used by his client who he said was very immature and had a low IQ.

Passing sentence Judge Douglas Field said ìIn my judgement the second offence is the more serious because it was committed while you were in bail and it also involved an elderly man walking in the town centre, pulled to the ground, and that violence visited on that elderly man is clearly an aggravating feature.î