Jail reprieve for mugger (From Swindon Advertiser)

Jail reprieve for mugger

9:10am Monday 28th July 2008 in News

A WOMAN who robbed a teenager in bus station toilets has walked free from court.

Ilysha Defreitas targeted her 16-year-old victim after spotting she had a wallet in her bag and followed her before mugging her.

But after hearing the 18-year-old was petrified of receiving a prison sentence, a judge at Swindon Crown Court decided to suspend the jail term.

Defreitas, who sobbed in the dock during the hearing, will be given another chance on a drug rehabilitation requirement after failing on the last one after a few weeks.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said the victim arrived at Swindon bus station at about 2.30pm on Monday, June 16, having caught the bus from her home near Marlborough.

After getting off the bus he said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to the toilets to sort out her make up.

“She was approached by this defendant who asked her if she had change for a £20 note,” Mr Meeke said.

“The victim said that she did not but she offered her £1 if she needed money for a bus or her mobile if she needed to make a call. Such kindness was not what Miss Defreitas wanted. She wanted something more”

Mr Meeke said Defreitas grabbed her rucksack and emptied it into a sink and helped herself to the youngster’s wallet and iPod before leaving.

Mr Meeke said she punched her victim in the stomach and said ‘If you lay your hands on me one more time my boys will do you a great deal of damage’.

One of the ‘street drunks’ who hang around the bus station showed the girl to the police station, he said, and even suggested a suspect.

The defendant was arrested and though she denied punching the victim, she admitted taking money and £9 in change.

Defreitas, of Poplar Avenue, Pinehurst, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery.

The court heard she had previous convictions for carrying a knife and in April was put on a community order for theft and common assault.

A month later she had failed on that order and, after being convicted of shoplifting, she was put on the drug rehabilitation requirement.

Paul Orton, defending, said his client was petrified about receiving a prison sentence and asked the judge to suspend it.

She had been in custody on remand for more than a month, he said, and during that time had been assaulted by other inmates.

He said that she had failed on the previous order because of her epilepsy which had been brought on by her drug use.

Mr Orton said “At 18 years of age, if she doesn’t get this chance I am fearful for the consequences.”

Recorder Stewart Jones QC said: “I fully expected, up until a little while ago, to have to tell you that you were going to prison for two years which is not something I do with any relish especially with a young woman of 18 years old.”

But instead he suspended a one year jail term for two years and put her on probation for that time and told her to complete a 12 month drug rehabilitation requirement.