Three years for gun robber

9:41am Thursday 22nd May 2008

A YOUNG thug who put a gun to a schoolboy's head and robbed him of a mobile phone has been jailed for three years.

Francis Egerton put the weapon, which he insists was a ballbearing gun, to the temple of the 15-year-old boy during the night time attack in Lydiard Park.

And the 18-year-old, fuelled by cannabis and drink, launched the attack just weeks after magistrates put him on a community order for another violent robbery.

Ian Fenny, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the young victim had been in the park with a number of friends on October 12 last year.

Although they had been drinking, he said there was no suggestion any of them were drunk or out of control.

He said a second group of youths, including Egerton, arrived and approached them in the children's play park area.

Egerton at first spoke pleasantly to the victim but soon after squared up to him and demanded he hand over his phone.

The youngster refused so Egerton produced a pistol from his pocket and put it to the boy's temple. Mr Fenny said the terrified teen handed over the phone and was heard to say "Don't hurt me" as the gun was pointed at his head.

A girl in the victim's group asked for her phone back, but Egerton taunted her and also pointed the gun in her direction.

Meanwhile, another mobile phone was also stolen from a handbag on the ground and one of the victim's friends was assaulted.

It was unclear who had committed those offences so no-one was charged.

Egerton, of Manor Crescent, Moredon, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an imitation firearm at the time of committing the offence as well as possession of cannabis found when he was arrested.

The court heard that in September last year he was put on a community order for another violent robbery on a youth.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client realised he was facing a jail term and was horrified at what he had done.

Although the gun was never recovered he said he had told officers it was a ballbearing firing weapon.

He said Egerton had been smoking cannabis since he was 13 or 14 years old and was getting through about £20 worth of skunk a day at the time of the offence.

Jailing him, Judge Douglas Field said: "You were out with a group of young thugs intent on committing crimes and during the course of that evening you placed a pistol to the head of an adolescent teenager, only 15, and stole his mobile phone.

"He must have been very shaken indeed by that. The fact that you used that as a weapon and induced such fear in him is a very aggravating feature."

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