Willenhall mugger has jail term cut
A mugger who was nabbed after being identified through a Facebook campaign has had his jail term cut on appeal.
Oliver Stanton, 21, attacked shopkeeper Stephen Roberts in a Willenhall street with a knuckleduster in January, making off with goods worth £200.
Stanton, formerly of Hampstead Road, Birmingham, had covered his features with a hooded top and a scarf.
He approached his victim as he transported boxes of e-cigarettes from his shop into a vehicle.
But, during a struggle before he ran off with one of the boxes, Stanton's face was revealed.
The victim's quick-thinking daughter then launched a Facebook appeal, which led to Stanton being identified as the robber.
He was jailed for six years at Wolverhampton Crown Court in February, after pleading guilty to robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
But at London's Appeal Court, Mr Justice William Davis ruled that was too tough and cut Stanton's sentence to five years.
The judge, sitting with Mr Justice Green and Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, said Stanton punched his victim with 'full force' on both sides of his face.
He told Mr Roberts, 'I'm having that box' before making off with his loot.
But, fortunately, the shopkeeper suffered no more serious injury than bruising.
Stanton's lawyers argued that Mr Roberts had not suffered 'severe psychological harm' and that his attacker's sentence was over the top.
Mr Justice Davis, allowing the appeal, said: "This was a planned robbery - he armed himself and used a weapon.
"But the judge fell into error in finding that severe psychological harm had been caused when the evidence simply did not support that finding.
"Giving full credit for the guilty plea, the appropriate sentence is one of five years," the appeal judge concluded.
