Drunken Cobridge robber Anthony Wooley took 14-year-old victim's mobile phone in Smallthorne street attack

A DRUNKEN robber has been jailed for forcing a terrified 14-year-old boy to hand over his mobile phone in a street attack.

Anthony Wooley confronted the teenager in a dark street and threatened to smash his head into a brick wall if he didn't hand over the mobile.

The shaken boy agreed but Wooley was later arrested and charged with robbery following a police appeal for witnesses.

Now the 24-year-old has been locked up for two years and eight months after he admitted the charge at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

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Judge Granville Styler told Wooley: "There are aggravating factors about this robbery.

"It was at night, you were drunk, and the victim was only 14 years old.

"You have previous convictions for robbery."

Prosecutor Nicolas Burn told how the robber pounced on his victim in Ford Green Road, Smallthorne, at around 12.30am on June 24.

Drunken Wooley emerged from the nearby Forresters Arms pub with a woman before he approached the teenager, who was walking home alone at the time.

Mr Burn said Wooley made threats to the boy, asking him: "What, you think I'm an idiot?

"I'll ram your head through a brick wall. Give me your phone."

The teenager handed over his expensive Blackberry Curve phone before Wooley and the woman walked away.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, arrived home about 10 minutes later and told his sister and her boyfriend what had happened.

The three then left the house together to try to find Wooley and demand the phone was returned.

But they eventually decided it would be foolish to approach the attacker, who has previous convictions for robbery, assault and battery, and was once sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institute.

Wooley's defence solicitor Joanne Wallbanks said the robber became drunk after meeting his ex-partner, with whom he has several children.

Miss Wallbanks told how Wooley had experienced a series of problems with the woman, with police being called to the home they shared on several occasions.

Wooley, of Lowther Street, Cobridge, had later ended the relationship after she made it clear to him she wanted to see other people.

Miss Wallbanks said: "He wanted to continue to see his children.

"On this night he had been to discuss contact with his children.

"He got into an argument with some people who became verbally abusive towards him.

"He continued to drink and then this offence occurred."

Judge Styler said he gave credit for Wooley's early guilty plea, reducing a sentence of four years by a third.