Robber followed 13-year-olds from Leeds park and demanded their phones while brandishing a huge knife
A robber stole phones from two terrified 13-year-old boys after he followed them from a park and pulled out a huge knife.
The youngsters said Merkenzi Elmslie brandished the serrated blade, which was between one and two feet in length, after he spotted them in Chapel Allerton park in March.
But Elmslie, 20, had already been interviewed for robbing teenagers in Gledhow in December, which he later admitted. He appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Friday from HMP Doncaster, where he was being held on remand.
Prosecutor Stephen Grattage said a group of 17-year-olds had stepped off a bus on Lidgett Lane in Gledhow at around 5.30pm on December 21, when they were approached by a gang wearing balaclavas and face masks near to the Premier shop.
They were asked if they belonged to a gang, and then one was asked to hand over his mobile phone. Elmslie then punched the boy in the face. Another ran away and was chased by a member of the group, with shouts from the others to “shank him”, meaning to stab him, but he could not catch him.
The other were “patted down” by the gang and told to hand over their phones. They were then frogmarched to a nearby field, ordered they log out of their accounts on their phone and perform a factory reset. Three iPhones were taken from the group.
However, one of the gang referred to Elmslie by his name during the robbery. Police checked the street CCTV the next day and also recognised Elmslie. They went to his home on Lincombe Drive in Gledhow on December 27 and arrested him.
They found a balaclava and the same clothes he wore during the robbery. During his interview he claimed he was at home that day and denied any knowledge. During a second interview he largely gave no comments, Mr Grattage said.
But having been released, he went onto rob the phones from the young boys on March 13. The pair had finished school and went to the park, but left around 90 minutes later. They had already noticed Elmslie alone on a swing and he began to follow them.
He shouted if they had a pen and paper, but they said no. He accused them of lying and caught up with them on Northbrook Street. He demanded they hand over their phones. The first boy did so, but the second tried to raise the alarm until Elmslie pulled out the large knife and pointed it towards him.
Elmslie was later identified in an ID parade, despite once again claiming he was at home at that time. He later admitted three counts of robbery and one of attempted robbery. He has three previous convictions for four offences.
Mitigating, Emily Hassell said: “He knows what he did to all of the complainants was wrong, was frightening and a violation of them.”
She said Elmslie had taken out of education at an early age and had behavioural problems. Although not diagnosed, he had showed signs of ADHD and autism and was of “extremely low intelligence”.
Judge Penelope Belcher jailed him for five years and four months.