When a young man turned up at his former foster mother’s home she recognised the bike he was riding as one she had seen on Facebook after a 12-year-old boy had been robbed of it.
When he was arrested John Burnham denied robbing the boy, but was picked out in an identity procedure and pleaded guilty when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court.
Burnham (18) of Tomson Avenue, Coventry, was sentenced to 12 months detention, with a consecutive one-month sentence for failing to attend court for a previous hearing.
And Judge Richard Bond ordered that a 12-week suspended sentence should continue, so that Burnham will still be subject to it when he is released.
He commented that it was ‘extraordinary’ that magistrates had committed the most serious case, the robbery, to the crown court – but dealt with other offences, including battery and the theft of a cycle, themselves by imposing the suspended sentence.
Prosecutor Matthew Barnes said that in April a 12-year-old boy was riding his bike to Heckley playing fields in Bedworth to meet up with some friends at 7.30pm.
Burnham, who was with two friends, stopped the boy and demanded: “Give me your bike, or I’ll hit you.”
Fearing Burnham would carry out his threat, the youngster handed over the expensive bike and left the scene to make his way home on foot.
But he posted a picture of the missing bike on Facebook where it was seen by Burnham’s former foster-mother.
And she recognised it when he turned up at her home on the bike, which he told her he had bought for £100 ‘from a druggie.’
The bike was recovered when he was arrested, and it was returned to the boy, but had damage to it which cost £190 to repair, said Mr Barnes.
He added that Burnham had ‘quite a record for a young man of his age,’ with offences including burglary, theft, battery, causing damage and handling stolen property.
Catherine McMillan, defending, said: “He has a considerable amount of empathy with the complainant. He is extremely sorry for his actions.
She said Burnham had been in care for nine years until he was 18, when he then had to fend for himself, and had been looking for work which he was hopeful of getting.
“This young man has a future. He has obtained his City and Guilds, and he isn’t workshy. After today, everything is brought to a conclusion, and when he’s released he will have a clean sheet,” added Miss McMillan.
But Judge Bond posed the question: “Why should I not leave the suspended sentence in place? I can’t re-sentence for those offences, I can either revoke it or let it continue. If I revoke it, he’s got away with them.”
Sentencing Burnham, the judge told him: “You have got an unenviable record for one so young.
“You chose your victim because of his youth. You targeted him because he was vulnerable. I am simply unable to impose a non-custodial sentence.
“You have no regard for the law, which is supported by the views of the author of the pre-sentence report.”
