Locked up: 'Lawless' teenage gang members tricked way into boy's home before knifepoint robbery

Troy Pemberton-Bailey, 16, and 17-year-old Santia Ricketts, brandished huge knives after an evening playing video games with a former gang member, with the younger robber holding his weapon to the victim's face before taking clothing, jewellery, a PlayStation 5 and an iPhone.

Both were sentenced for robbery at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday, with Ricketts also punished for possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The court heard how Pemberton-Bailey had got in touch with their teenage victim on the evening of January 5, saying he wanted "hook up" after not seeing him for some time. The victim agreed and sent his address, before Pemberton-Bailey and Ricketts arrived around 45 minutes later.

Mr Robert Tolhurst, prosecuting, said that the "mood turned ugly", with the victim being accused of owing money and challenged over dropping out of a gang.

The two robbers then produced a machete and Rambo-type knives. Pemberton-Bailey then held his weapon - described as having an 18” sharp double blade - to the victim's face as they hold him to "keep quiet and not to scream" before putting his belongings in a bag.

The victim managed to wake his mother as the two robbers made their way to a taxi outside. The court heard how she managed to tell the driver to stay, prompting Pemberton-Bailey and Ricketts to run from the scene.

Ricketts was later arrested in another taxi, with a machete found under a seat while Pemberton-Bailey, who was seen throwing the PS5 away, was caught at his mother's address. The second weapon was never recovered.

In a victim impact statement, the teenage boy said their actions had "traumatised" him, and he feels he's "not been able to trust people" since the robbery.

"They came into my home and did this to me," he said, explaining that he had "tried to get away from these people and the lifestyle they live" in the years before the robbery.