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16/04/2010
Drug Debt Robber Sentenced
A man who robbed a 13-year-old boy of his mobile phone to pay off a drugs debt has been sentenced.
The thief was then forced to hand himself into police by his aunt who recognised a picture of him in the press.
Benjamin Lucas Snailham, 20, of Victoria Street, Lees, pleaded guilty to robbery at an earlier hearing and yesterday he was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work at Minshull Street Crown Court.
The young boy was robbed of his phone after he and his friend got on the 184 bus in Lees town centre at about 8.40pm on 20 January 2010. Snailham also got on the bus at the same stop.
A few minutes later, the teenager's friend got off and he was sitting alone until he himself got off on Shaw Road, closely followed by Snailham.
He followed the youngster for a few minutes and eventually walked in front of him and confronted him on a car park, demanding his mobile phone and claiming he could do it 'the easy way or the hard way'.
Panicking, the teenager put his black Samsung Tocco on the floor and Snailham kicked it to one side before picking it up and running off.
Greater Manchester Police released CCTV pictures of Snailham following the robbery, and when these were published in a local newspaper, his aunt recognised him and forced Snailham to hand himself in.
During his interview, he admitted he did it to pay off a drugs debt.
Police Constable Tejharpal Singh said: "Snailham's case is a perfect example of what can happen when you get involved in drugs. Debts can spiral and in the chaos users turn to further crime to pay off those debts and feed their addiction.
"Because of his habit, Snailham had to rob a defenceless young schoolboy."
(PR/GK)
The thief was then forced to hand himself into police by his aunt who recognised a picture of him in the press.
Benjamin Lucas Snailham, 20, of Victoria Street, Lees, pleaded guilty to robbery at an earlier hearing and yesterday he was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work at Minshull Street Crown Court.
The young boy was robbed of his phone after he and his friend got on the 184 bus in Lees town centre at about 8.40pm on 20 January 2010. Snailham also got on the bus at the same stop.
A few minutes later, the teenager's friend got off and he was sitting alone until he himself got off on Shaw Road, closely followed by Snailham.
He followed the youngster for a few minutes and eventually walked in front of him and confronted him on a car park, demanding his mobile phone and claiming he could do it 'the easy way or the hard way'.
Panicking, the teenager put his black Samsung Tocco on the floor and Snailham kicked it to one side before picking it up and running off.
Greater Manchester Police released CCTV pictures of Snailham following the robbery, and when these were published in a local newspaper, his aunt recognised him and forced Snailham to hand himself in.
During his interview, he admitted he did it to pay off a drugs debt.
Police Constable Tejharpal Singh said: "Snailham's case is a perfect example of what can happen when you get involved in drugs. Debts can spiral and in the chaos users turn to further crime to pay off those debts and feed their addiction.
"Because of his habit, Snailham had to rob a defenceless young schoolboy."
(PR/GK)
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