JAILED: Thug who punched teenage girl in face and stole phone
A teenager who punched a 17-year-old girl in the face and stole her mobile phone after offering to walk her to the bus stop has been locked up for two years three months.
Stefen Allen launched the attack after meeting the victim and her friend in Park Road, Netherton on July 5, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The 19-year-old was known to one of the girls who were heading for a party but did not live in the area, explained Mr Ian Windridge, prosecuting.
He invited them to a nearby address where he started pestering them for money to buy cannabis, it was said.
Mr Windridge continued: "The two girls felt increasingly uncomfortable and secretly sent text messages to each other in which they agreed to leave the house together.
"They were followed from the property by Allen and three other people. The two girls were in an area with which they were not familiar and so were relieved when the defendant offered to walk them to the bus stop."
After a short distance Allen suddenly turned and punched one of the girls in the face before putting her in a headlock and throwing her to the ground, the court was told.
She dropped her phone and was kicked and punched by a 16-year-old girl who had left the house with Allen who pocketed the phone and said to the victim: 'Give me your rings, now.' Then a man came out of a nearby house, forcing the attackers to flee, it was said.
Police were alerted and arrested Allen who admitted selling the £400 mobile for £80 which he spent on alcohol, concluded Mr Windridge.
The defendant was on bail after stealing gold jewellery from a locked box belonging to the mother and grandmother of a girlfriend during a visit the family home of a girlfriend in Ilmington Road, Weoley Castle. He then pawned the family heirlooms for £74 claiming they belonged to him. Some have never been recovered.
Mr Antony Schiller, defending, said: "He was a GCSE success at school but then experienced a remarkable and rapid decline after getting in with the wrong crowd. He realises the error of his ways and knows what he has to do to start putting things right."
Allen from Hollymoor Way, Frankley admitted theft, fraud and robbery and was sent to a Young Offenders Institution for a total of 27 months. The 16-year -old girl who kicked and punched the girl during the robbery has been dealt with separately.
