Shropshire Star

Drug addict pair jailed for robbing Shrewsbury schoolboys of £140

Two men have been jailed for robbing two Shropshire schoolboys of more than £140 to fund their addiction to drugs.

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And one of the men could face deportation to Bangladesh when he is released.

Ruhel Amin, 26, and Steven Denscombe, 34, yesterday each admitted two charges robbing the 13-year-olds in October.

The boys, who attend Shrewsbury School and who cannot be named for legal reasons, were walking from the town centre back towards the school, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told.

One of the boys had stopped at a cash machine at Pride Hill and withdrawn £100.

As they got to the River Severn footbridge, near Quarry Park, they were approached by Amin and Denscombe who asked the boys if they had any change. They replied they did not.

Out of the fear, the pupils changed their route to cut through Ridgemount Lane, away from the highway, said prosecutor Mr Robert Edwards.

"Because they were starting to rush, one of the boys dropped the backpack he was carrying and when he went to retrieve it the defendants had caught up with them.

"They stood in front of the boys and Densombe said he did not want to hurt them but could they hand over their money."

One of the boys handed over £10 and Amin reached into the other boy's pocket and grabbed his wallet, which had about £130 in it, and which he took out, Mr Edwards added.

The boys then told a member of staff at the school, who went out, spotted and followed the defendants while describing their location to the police over the phone. The police caught up with Amin and Denscombe at St Michael's Street where they were arrested.

Mr Edwards said Amin had told police in interviews the two defendants had wanted to buy heroin but needed some more money.

Amin, of Longden Coleham, Shrewsbury, was handed a prison sentence of 14 months and Denscombe, of no fixed abode, received 16 months. Both were also fined £100 each.

The sentence of more than 12 months also means Amin, of Bangladeshi descent, will be considered for automatic deportation upon his release.

Mr Michael Sherwood-Smith, for Amin, said: "He expressed his remorse in police interview and reports and he was genuine in expressing his remorse."

Mr Andrew Holland, for Denscombe, said: "He was drunk at the time and has a hazy recollection of what happened. He was ashamed when he sobered up."

Judge Robin Onions said the robbery had not happened on the spur of the moment and did involve "a degree of planning".

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