Gang targeted people around Bradford city centre

3:59pm Tuesday 29th September 2009

By Jenny Loweth

Three teenagers have been locked up for mugging a cerebral palsy sufferer in a Bradford city centre subway.

The trio was caught on CCTV cameras walking off laughing after attacking Joshua Halshall who has a limp and wears glasses.

Mr Halshall, 22, a library support worker, tried to run from the teenagers who blocked the exit of the Jacob’s Well subway and demanded his phone.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron told Bradford Crown Court today he was quickly caught, spun round and punched in the back of the head.

His glasses fell off and were damaged and Mr Halshall suffered a bump to his head. He broke free and fled shouting for help.

In the dock were Michael Kelly, 18, of Farside Green, Little Horton, Bradford, Yasser Nasser, 19, of Kenton Way, Holme Wood, Bradford, and Mark Coleman, 18, of St Mary’s Street, Laisterdyke, Bradford.

They admitted assaulting Mr Halshall with intent to rob him shortly before 4pm on June 12.

Nasser and Kelly also admitted robbing a 20-year-old student at 4.15pm the previous day near Bradford Interchange.

The court heard Kelly put him in a headlock before the pair escaped with his phone and bag.

Only two hours before Mr Halshall was mugged, Kelly and Nasser held up student Maxym Lysenczuk on the Hall Ings footbridge. Both admitted robbing him of an iPod after punching him about the head.

Kelly, described as the ringleader by Judge Roger Scott, admitted a total of seven street muggings between May 19 and June 12.

Nasser received 20 months and Coleman, involved in one offence only, eight months.

Judge Scott said all the offences were committed in the city centre near the courts.

He said he himself refused to use the subways because “hooligans try to rob you”.

Mohammed Alias, solicitor advocate for Kelly, said he accepted he was going to custody. Although Mr Halshall’s limp was apparent, his other disabilities were not and he was not deliberately targeted because of his vulnerabilities.

No serious violence or weapon was used. The robberies were opportunistic while the teenagers were gathered together in the city centre.

Michael Reeves, for Nasser, said he had been bullied while in custody awaiting sentence. Andrew Dallas, for Coleman, said he was on the periphery of one assault. He had no convictions for violence and had not breached any court order.

After the case, Mr Halshall told the Telegraph & Argus, he no longer uses the subway where he was robbed.

He said: “It’s more out of superstition than anything else but I won’t use it. I’m also more wary of people in the street and the dangers there might be.

“Between the three of them they have thrown away five years of their lives – for nothing. The phone they got was two years old and worth about £20 if that. They could have bought it themselves for one day’s work.”