Relentless thug kicked and stamped on unconscious man during Pontefract biscuit robbery
A relentless thug kicked a man unconscious and continued to kick him while he lay unconscious, before robbing him of a packet of biscuits among other items.
The sickening assault was captured on a mobile phone as concerned residents came to confront him as the victim lay lifeless.
Judge Neil Clark told Leeds Crown Court that it was “truly horrendous violence” that was “more like an attack than a robbery”.
Joe Jenkins was given an extended jail sentence of more than 15 years after being deemed a danger to the public.
The 28-year-old admitted a charge of robbery, possessing a bladed article in public and two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child from another indictment.
The court heard that on April 7 last year the robbery victim had been to the shop to buy biscuits in South Kirkby, and was returning home when he was confronted by Jenkins.
The man was on his phone to a friend when Jenkins asked: “Do you not recognise me?”
Jenkins then asked him what was in his pocket, before he pulled out a four-inch knife from his own pocket. The man tried to punch Jenkins in self defence but slipped and Jenkins laid into him.
Footage played to the court showed him kicking the man unconscious, before stamping on his head and punching him repeatedly as he lay motionless.
He took the man’s mobile phone, worth only around £30, tobacco, loose change from his pocket and the biscuits he had just bought.
He then walked away as neighbours came out to halt the attack, but he became abusive towards them. The court was told that the man, luckily, had no lasting physical injuries but was psychologically scarred and now struggles to leave his home.
Jenkins, of Park Avenue, Castleford, was not arrested until August last year, and then gave a no-comment interview.
The court also heard that he met a 15-year-old girl on Facebook and twice had sex with her in June of last year, leading to the second indictment.
Jenkins, who has 32 previous convictions for 75 offences, appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds.
Mitigating, Zarreen Alam-Cheetham conceded Jenkins has a “shocking record” but said there were no previous sexual offences.
She said he has a “long-standing” drug addiction and was now stable on a methadone prescription to combat his heroin habit.
Ms Alam-Cheetham said that Jenkins had suffered a brain injury at the age of 17, having been run over and was attacked with a hammer. He has since been diagnosed with a behavioural disorder and ADHD, which causes “impulsive and reckless behaviour”.
Judge Clark told Jenkins: “It’s a truly appalling attack. You viciously and uncontrollably attacked him.
“He was helpless on the floor and you carried out the assault. You took full-swing kicks and stamped on his head while he was unconscious.”
He jailed Jenkins for 10 years and one month, and gave him a five-year extended licence period.
He was also put on the sex offender register for life and given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).