Two drunk thugs followed a man who was walking home on his own from a night out in the city centre - before subjecting him to a terrifying robbery.
The young man had been enjoying a night out on Canal Street when he was verbally abused by Ryan Partington, 29, who was making vulgar comments towards him.
Later on he left the popular nightspot after being separated from friends, and became aware of Partington following him. After a couple of minutes of his attacker grabbing at him, he managed to get onto a nearby road but was approached again by both Partington and Zack Kelly.
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The pair walked with him for a few seconds before attacking the victim, Kelly, 24, punching and kneeing him to the ground, and Partington dragging his coat and bag from his shoulder.
The man managed to run away without any injuries and called the police, to be told they would take an hour to attend. He was joined by his friend, who later found Partington in a ‘semi-conscious’ state, alongside his iPhone.
Both Partington and Kelly admitted an offence of robbery and were both jailed at Manchester Crown Court.
Prosecuting, Philip Hall said that on September 7 this year, the man was out with friends when Partington began making comments stating that he wanted him to perform a sex act on him in a bid to ‘lure him away’. He later left the area and the robbery was captured on CCTV.
In footage played to the court, the man was walking past Minshull Street Crown Court when Partington ran up behind him and put his hands on his shoulders. He then crossed the road onto a side street.
“Kelly and Partington are seen to walk with him for a few seconds before Kelly punches him and then knees him. Partington then takes his jacket from him before he runs away,” Mr Hall said.
“After, Partington records a series of videos on the victim’s iPhone where he and Kelly boast of what they have done, before they attend a local shop and attempt to purchase cigarettes and energy drinks, but are refused. He is holding a blue bank card - the victim had a Barclay bank card, which is known to be blue.”
Mr Hall said the pair met an acquaintance where Partington showed the iPhone 13 and the other items they had robbed, and was ‘bragging’ about putting someone in a ‘sleeper hold’.
After the robbery the man ran to a nearby pub and called the police but was told it would take them up to an hour to attend. He couldn’t afford to get home due to the robbery and asked his friend to help.
His friend later discovered Partington on the floor in a semi-conscious state and recovered the man’s mobile phone.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, he said that following the robbery he was in a state of shock. He has since described being afraid to go clubbing and is anxious thinking about what could have happened. He said that at the time he thought he was going to get stabbed and left there.
Both Partington and Kelly were said to have previous convictions; Partington for assault, robbery and battery; Kelly for theft, burglary and robbery.
Defending Partington, Andrew Costello said in the ‘sober light of day’ he recognises his culpability.
“In reality, this is drunken thuggery,” he said. “He had been out celebrating his birthday at the time. He had been walking the streets, being drunk, and behaved in this way. He does apologise for that behaviour. He acknowledges this will have been frightening, and accepts there was no need for this to happen.”
For Kelly, Ian Metcalfe said his client and Partington did not know each other before the robbery. He said he ‘fell in’ with the offending. Of the victim, he said he was ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’.
“My client has long standing issues including depression and chronic homelessness. This was his home turf, he was sleeping in a sleeping bag in doorways near Piccadilly,” he said.
“This night he had not slept.”
Sentencing Partington, who repeatedly interrupted the sentencing hearing, Recorder Carwyn Cox said: “You were following him after previously targeting him. Under the influence of alcohol, you became a thug. You have limited remorse - your behaviour in court confirms that.”
“Kelly, you came in later, punching him and striking him with a knee.”
Partington, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 26 months; and Kelly, also of no fixed abode, was jailed for 24 months.
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