Teenager jailed over robbery from man aged 92

Bob Horsfield was making his breakfast when Thomas Robinson, 19, approached the rear of his property and shouted: “Open the f***** door, I want £3,000.”

When the plucky pensioner told him to go away, Robinson threw a brick through his glass door in Denton, Greater Manchester, and attempted to barge past.

Dressed in his pyjamas, Mr Horsfield struggled with the youth and was punched on the nose before he managed to land a blow himself.

Robinson went on to search his victim’s belongings and eventually ran off with a tin containing the sum of money he had demanded, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

However, prosecutor Alexander Langhorn said that Robinson, in his haste to escape, left his mobile phone and keys at the scene on the morning of April 15.

Robinson even tried to cover his tracks by reporting to police that he had been a victim of robbery himself and that the above items had been taken. The trail quickly led back to him, however, and, despite initially denying any involvement to police, he pleaded guilty in June to robbery.

Robinson, of Denton, also admitted attempting to escape lawful custody when he tried to run off after being arrested.

Sentencing him, Judge Jeffrey Lewis said: “The facts of the robbery offence are truly shocking. This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated.”

The court heard that Robinson had previous convictions for burglary, going equipped for theft, common assault and shoplifting.

He was serving a suspended jail sentence for burglary at the time he robbed Mr Horsfield.

Judge Lewis sentenced Robinson to five years for the burglary and added four months for breaching the terms of his suspended punishment. He also imposed a concurrent two-month term for attempting to escape lawful custody.

His barrister said his client had “a complete lack of ability to express how he feels” but had said he “feels sorry for what he has done”.