Teenager robbed and attacked youths days before killing father-of-two Simon Johnson

The youth, aged 17 and from Rowley Regis, was locked up for ten years in January after being convicted by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court of the manslaughter of 41-year-old Simon Johnson during the early hours of August 11, 2016.

He and Damilola Johnson, aged 19 and no relation to Simon, were stealing cannabis plants from the address in Cradley Road, Netherton, when they woke the victim, who lived alone and was stabbed to death by the older teenager who was convicted of murder and ordered to serve at least 21 years of a life sentence.

Now the 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because of his age, has admitted being part of a ‘feral pack’ who assaulted and robbed a string of youths during an evening of violence on August 8, three days before the fatal stabbing.

The group operated across Dudley said Mr Simon Phillips, prosecuting at the same court.

The first victim was targeted at the bus station at Brierley Hill’s Merry Hill Shopping Centre after allegedly ‘grassing’ and was punched two or three times in the face by the 17-year-old.

Mr Phillips said less than two hours later the teen robbed a youth, one of four who had their mobile phones taken by members of the gang at a skateboard park in Old Wharf Road, Stourbridge.

“There were probably 10 to 15 youths involved but they were not all identified,” maintained the prosecutor.

The cornered lads were threatened and patted down while ordered to hand over their phones, with each later identifying people from the gang as allegedly being among those involved.

The robbers then headed to the local bus station where they split up, probably because police had been called to the area. Mr Tony Nayager, defending the 17-year-old, said: “He was a member of what was effectively a feral pack and is deeply ashamed of what happened.”

Judge James Burbidge QC told the defendant, who was given six months detention for the robbery and a one-month consecutive term for the assault: “You were out of control in 2016, having abandoned your interest in law-abiding pursuits to the pack mentality and that led to the grave crime of manslaughter for which you received a ten year sentence with an extended licence.

“You are not being allowed to go Scot free because you are already serving a massive sentence.”

Six other youths have now been convicted of involvement in the robberies committed by the gang.

A 17-year-old from Smethwick was acquitted of all charges against him during the Wolverhampton Crown Court trial.

Danyal Hussain, 18, from Harcourt Road, Old Hill was found guilty of the four mobile phone robberies at the skateboard park but a further charge that he robbed another young man in Haden Hill Park, Cradley Heath on August 19 2016 was dismissed mid-way through the case.

Yunus Muflahi, 20, from Winwood Road, Rowley Regis was found not guilty of the four skateboard park robberies but was convicted of the August 19 robbery. Police admitted to failing to check his alibi.

A 17-year-old from Cradley Heath was found guilty of the skateboard park robberies, as were a 16-year-old from Oldbury and two 15-year-olds from Cradley Heath and Quinton.

The three youngest were each acquitted of assaulting the bus station attack victim. They were each remanded for reports until July 6. All bar the 17-year-old from Cradley Heath were granted bail.