Jail for ex-Hucknall teen who stole vulnerable man's trainers in homeless hostel during vile attack

Nottingham Crown Court heard Gervais Davis rummaged through the man’s belongings while Jack Dennis put him in a headlock hard enough to restrict his breathing and punched him six or seven times in the ribs.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said the pair barged into his room at the Framework Housing Project, London Road, Nottingham, after asking him for a cigarette, on November 28 last year, just before 1am.

Dennis told their victim: “If you tell anyone I will stab you 18 times. And if you tell the police I will get two big black men to come and rape you.”

The pair made off with his jeans, a pair of Nike trainers and a Zippo lighter, before returning to steal his phone and bank card.

Davis and Dennis, who also lived at the hostel, later tried to return the items, but their victim had already fled because he was so frightened.

Both were on licence at the time after serving detention orders.

Davis was locked up for robbery and a weapons offence, while Dennis received four years in a Young Offender Institution for four robberies, both in 2020.

Davis denied being involved when arrested with the stolen phone on November 30 and said Dennis had been “play-fighting” with the man.

Bianca Brasoveanu, mitigating, said Davis was aged 19 at the time and a “vulnerable young adult” who was “remorseful and regretful”.

She said he lacked thinking skills and could not discriminate between good and bad influences, but has obtained qualifications while on remand, despite being dyslexic.

“He is at a crossroads in his life,” she said. “For the first time, he has a full package of support.”

The court heard Dennis had been bullied because of his autism and was cut off from his family.

Judge Mark Watson said they pleaded guilty after initially denying the robbery and their “frightened and powerless” victim had been bullied all his life, and was left “looking over his shoulder".

Davis, now 20, formerly of Justinian Close, Hucknall, was handed four years’ custody. Dennis, 21, of no fixed address, was given four years and three months’ custody.