Thug locked up after robbery of girl

A teenage thug who repeatedly punched a girl in the face and stole her hand bag after tailing her for ten minutes at night in the Black Country has been locked up for two and a half years.

Richard North followed the 17-year-old as she walked alone through Mary Stevens Park and into New Farm Road, Stourbridge on September 27, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

The 19-year-old, who has a string of previous convictions for violence, then attacked the girl around 10pm, punching her at least five times to the side of the face, revealed prosecutor Mr Paul Dhami who continued: "He shouted 'give me your bag' before snatching it off her shoulder. She saw him searching through it as he ran away."

The victim also heard Kirsty Askin, the 18-year-old cousin of the attacker, laughing during the frightening robbery, the court heard.

The pair and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been following the girl together, said Mr Dhami.

She had hidden her mobile phone up her sleeve after becoming increasingly concerned by their behaviour during the run up to the crime and had used it to call her mother who alerted police immediately afterwards.

Officers quickly traced the culprits and recovered the handbag with its £185 worth of contents that included a camera, the court was told.

North, previously of Barn Close, Stourbridge but now of no fixed address, had committed 21 previous offences and just hours before the robbery had been given a suspended sentence for breaching an earlier court order, it emerged.

Mr Marcus Hart, defending, said the teenager had been drinking heavily and had taken heroin, so remembered little of what had happened that night.

North, who admitted robbery, wept uncontrollably when sent to a young offenders institution by Judge John Wait who told him:

"Initially I accept that you were probably having a laugh but you are unable to control your temper and quickly recognised an opportunity to steal."

Askin from Russells Hall Road, Dudley who admitted watching the robbery and accepting make up taken during the crime pleaded guilty to handling stolen property and was given a two year community order and three month night time curfew by the court.

The 17-year-old youth admitted assisting an offender and was given a youth rehabilitation order and similar curfew.