Promising footballer 'in wrong crowd' jailed over robberies

Portuguese teenager William Miala had tried out for both Leeds United and Manchester United "but that was not to be his long term future" his counsel Andrew Stranex told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Instead he was among a trio who lured the taxi drivers to addresses on the pretext of picking up fares and then attacked them.

Diana Maudslay, prosecuting, said on July 19 last year Tariq Mahmood, who worked for Ace Cars went to Ashton Place, Harehills, Leeds after a call in the early hours of the morning.

When he arrived he saw one man on his own but as he opened the rear passenger door and got in, two others appeared. The man in the back then grabbed the driver around his neck and demanded money.

The other two then opened the front doors and while the driver was struggling to breathe took his keys and began searching him. Eventually they took his cash and satellite navigation system after being told he had no mobile phone.

He summoned help over his radio and later picked out Miala as one of his attackers. His fingerprint was also found on the car.

Two days later another Ace driver was robbed of his mobile phone, iPod, satellite navigation system and cash after he was sent to pick up a fare in Burmantofts.

This time the man who got in the back told him he had a knife. Police later arrested Miala at a house in Stanley Terrace, Leeds and he had the iPod on him when he was taken into custody. He claimed to have been decorating at the property.

While on bail he was involved in another incident in September last year when a man was attacked by a group of men who kicked and punched him.

Miala claimed he had tried to stop the incident.

Miala, 19 of Holborn Towers, Woodhouse, Leeds admitted both robberies and affray.

Judge Paul Hoffman said he accepted Miala was remorseful and had been doing well while on remand but the offences were serious.

"On two occasions you lured, or helped lure, two vulnerable taxi drivers to a secluded place in the early hours of the morning and each of them was then robbed. We are talking about targeted ambushes."

He then committed a further offence on bail.

Mr Stranex told the judge Miala realised he had let his family down and was determined to get his life back on track after his release.