Baby-faced teen tearaway locked up for petty bike theft from Leeds University as courts 'lose patience'

Cassius Nugent was told by a judge that the courts are “losing patience” with him before handing him an 18-month sentence in a young offenders institute.

Leeds Crown Court heard that he has 21 previous convictions for 58 offences including thefts, burglary, racially aggravated harassment and two offences of possessing a knife.

Prosecutor Bev Wright said that on November 26, security at the university campus on Woodhouse Lane spotted 18-year-old Nugent and and “15 or 16-year-old youth” trying to cut through a lock for a parked bicycle at around 6.30pm.

When they saw the staff approaching, they tried to make off but Nugent was apprehended. He was also found to be carrying a lock knife in his trouser pocket.

Nugent, of Westbourne Mount, Beeston, gave a no-comment interview to police but later admitted theft of a bicycle and possession of a bladed article. A third charge of going equipped for theft was denied, and will remain on file.

He appeared in court via video link from HMP Doncaster, where he was being held on remand. He was already on a suspended sentence and a conditional discharge. He also faced a mandatory jail sentence for a third knife-possession offence.

His barrister, Phillip Mahoney said: “Plainly, it’s going to be custody. He has not long passed the age of 18 and if it were not for his suspended sentence he may not be facing custody.” He pointed to a traumatic upbringing for Nugent, but no other details were disclosed.

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Nugent: “The suspended sentence has not seemed to have stopped you from offending. There has not been any gap between you committing one offence after another.

“You are someone who has had difficulties from the start. Your upbringing was such that it impacted on you, but it’s no excuse for going on a spree of offending.

"It’s been constant in your life since the age of 16. This can’t continue for your own sake because you will continue to come before the courts and they are losing patience with you and you will keep getting custodial sentences.”