Teenager jailed for Penarth taxi driver robbery
A PENARTH teenager has been jailed for five years, after he admitted robbing a taxi driver in the town while brandishing a baseball bat.
Jordan Leonard Harry, aged 19, was sentenced to 32 months in prison for robbing Windsor Cars owner Rhys Morgan of approximately £100 in the early hours of March 20 this year.
He was given a consecutive 16-month jail term for the robbery of two 16-year-old students in a separate attack in Cardiff, and a 12 month sentence, also to run consecutively, for assaulting two people with a pool cue in Barry.
Harry pleaded guilty to all of the charges and was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday (December 2).
The court heard how the teenager, along with another person who was armed with an imitation firearm and has not been identified, carried out the Penarth robbery with a baseball bat.
Prosecuting, Andrew Taylor said the incident was ‘a serious matter of robbery in aggravated form’ in the early hours of March 20.
The court heard that a witness was walking along Stanwell Road to Archer Road at about 2.10am when he saw Harry and another male and became concerned.
When he skateboarded away from them they ‘chased after him’, and he took refuge in Windsor Cars, asking owner Rhys Morgan if he could help him as he was afraid of what was going on outside.
He offered the witness a lift home and they got into a taxi, but the vehicle was approached by Harry and the other person.
"Mr Morgan saw two people, one of whom was the defendant who was holding a baseball bat in his hand," said Mr Taylor.
"The other person held out what he took to be a gun, which was pointed towards him.
"The taxi driver was poked in the arm by the defendant, who said ‘give me the money, give me the ******* money!’ The bat was being waved in the air.
"The driver told the defendant there were cameras in the area so stop messing around.
"The defendant swung the bat downwards towards the right hand of the taxi driver, and he was told again ‘Give me the money!’ "He realised it was a serious incident."
The court heard that after rummaging around the taxi, Harry stole the coin dispenser which contained ‘anything up to £100’.
Mr Taylor added: "We may never find the other person responsible for this crime."
The court heard that the Barry assaults took place on Holton Road at 9.30pm on October 14, 2010.
The victims suffered a ‘completely unprovoked attack, with a pool cue, led by the defendant and two others’, which left them needing hospital treatment, according to Mr Taylor "One of the victims was struck across the back of the head repeatedly," he added.
"His friend was also beaten. The force that was used by striking out with the pool cue broke it into three sections."
Harry told police that he had been out drinking from 3pm, and that he didn’t remember anything about the incident.
The other charges related to an incident in Caroline Street in Cardiff on January 29 this year, involving two 16-year-old students.
Harry and another man accused the students of ‘looking at them’ in a chip shop.
The defendant kept asking ‘what they had on them’, and grabbed one of the youngsters’ wallets. As a result of being in fear, the victim handed over around £6 in change.
In mitigation for Harry, Owen Williams said: "He understands the seriousness of what he has done and expresses feelings of remorse and sympathy.
"He has previously offended but not to the extent of these matters.
"Three days ago he became a father. He realises now more than ever for the first time that he can’t continue like this and must live a law-abiding life in order to be a good father."
Sentencing Harry, Judge Philip Richards said all of the offences were ‘very serious’, but the Penarth incident most of all.
Judge Richards said: "You were up for it and you also had a weapon, which was swung and connected with the victim’s hand.
"After a trial I would have given you four years, but I shall reduce that to 32 months, which is the absolute minimum I will do."
The first two and a half years of the five-year total sentence will be spent in a detention centre.
Speaking this week after the sentencing, Windsor Cars owner Rhys Morgan said: "When the robbery occurred I was extremely shocked and, as I said at the time, I was sure that our local police would find the culprits.
"My customers’ safety is my primary concern, and we will always ensure this."
http://www.penarthtimes.co.uk/news/late ... r_robbery/
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
What about the rest of them 