Boy sleeping rough in knife-threat mugging

A BOY living on the streets after an argument with his family robbed a 14-year-old of his mobile phone at knifepoint.

The youth (15) and two girls aged 13 and 14, targeted the boy near Oldham Sports Centre during an evening last November. Oldham Youth Court heard how the victim refused to hand over the phone when the Stanley knife was produced by the boy.

Prosecution said the victim’s jacket was discovered to have had a slash in it after the robbers eventually fled with the phone, worth just £30. The victim wasn’t injured.

Magistrates bailed the male robber and the elder of the girls and said they could face custody when they are sentenced next month. The 13-year-old girl was put in probation for 10-months and her mother was ordered to pay a total of £95.

Mohammed Akram, defending the boy, said the defendant was of previous good character.

Mr Akram said: “He had fled home and was declared missing for a few days. He had been sleeping rough and this was an act of desperation. He found the Stanley knife hours earlier in the town centre and he produced the knife to scare the victim.”