Car park thug had downed 18 pints

A THUG who attacked and robbed a man in a supermarket car park had drunk up to 18 pints of lager during an all-night boozing spree.

Mathew Wright-Bowness (20), of Bexhill Walk, Chadderton, and another youth struck when they spotted two restaurant waiters leaving Asda in Chadderton in the early hours of April 17, last year.

The younger youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, grabbed one of the men, Askar Miah, in a headlock, then punched and kicked him.

Wright-Bowness punched the other victim, Shahid Hussain, and then demanded his mobile phone.

Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told that he was later identified by CCTV footage.

Judge Jonathan Geake told him:“This was an unpleasant and nasty act — a mugging in fact, on your part.”

He told him a custody sentence would normally have automatically followed, but he felt able to suspend the term, as he had no previous convictions.

Vanessa Thomson, defending Wright-Bowness, said he had consumed up to 18 pints of lager before the incident which happened at 1.30am.

The painter and decorator was given an eight-month term at a young offenders’ institution, suspended for 18 months. In addition, he will be made subject of a 12-month supervision order and carry out 80 hours unpaid work in the community.

The court was told that the younger youth who was dealt with separately, has been sent back to a youth court to be dealt with by a youth referral order.