Street attacker in sentence cut

Samuel Phillips, 21, punched his 16-year-old victim and demanded he hand over cash and his mobile phone.

Philips, of Laurel Avenue, was detained for 32 months in a young offenders’ institution at Nottingham Crown Court in April after he pleaded guilty to robbery.

But three of the country’s most senior judges, sitting at London’s Court of Appeal , last week upheld a sentence challenge by Phillips and slashed his term to 24 months.

His original punishment was ‘manifestly excessive’, the court ruled.

Mr Justice Jay said Phillips was with two blameless men when he spotted his young victim getting off a bus on his way home in Mansfield, at 10.30pm on March 11.

Phillips, who had previous convictions for attempted burglary, theft and common assault, approached the 16-year-old, who was not named in court, and hit him on the back of the head, saying “give me your money”.

He then punched the boy to the side of the face and demanded he hand over his mobile phone.

But Phillips’ lawyers successfully argued the trial judge had failed to take due account of his youth and genuine remorse.