Jail for mugger on bike who snatched commuter's iPod

The victim had set off at 5am to get to Leeds Railway Station and was listening to his iPod walking along Hyde Park Road and Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, when he was approached by Daniel Lee Horseman on a bike.

Christopher Smith, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday Horseman asked him why he had given him a dirty look and got off his bike.

He began to walk alongside his victim making him feel uneasy by asking questions about the iPod and music on it, and appeared to be trying to usher him into Hyde Park using his bike, without success.

He followed him for about 10 minutes before suddenly striking him in the face with a clenched fist, then threatened that he would not make it to work and was going "to go home in an ambulance".

He demanded the iPod and phone so he could not ring for help and when the complainant handed them over out of fear, Horseman rode off on his bike.

Some of the incident, including the blow was captured on CCTV, and police had already been alerted. A police dog was brought in and Horseman was found in an outhouse and arrested.

The court was told he had 41 previous convictions including offences involving drugs or dishonesty but nothing for violence.

Horseman, 33, of Springbank Road, Gildersome, Leeds, was jailed for 21 months after admitting the robbery on October 14 last year.