Thug punched man three times after failed street robbery then claimed it was a prank
A violent would-be street robber punched a man three times in the face after failing to steal his bag and bike.
Jordan Malton, 31, landed one punch in his victim's eye before trying to claim it was all a prank, on June 15. Malton approached his victim outside the man's Hartlepool home as he was returning from a shopping trip. The victim, who is Spanish, told police that there was a language barrier but he was sure that Malton was shouting at him to hand over his bag full of shopping.
Malton then tried to grab the man's bag, and then his bike, but the victim held onto his possessions. On Friday, Teesside Crown Court heard that Malton then began punching his victim, before threatening to smash his windows.
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When the man's son-in-law came outside to help, Vicky Lamballe, prosecuting, said that Malton "backed away." When a witness held up his phone to film what was happening, Malton said it had been a prank.
Malton was arrested on June 27, but told police he was with his family at the time of the offence. He later pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.
Malton has 11 previous convictions for 22 offences, which include impersonating a police officer in 2018 - when he demanded £500 from a pensioner, claiming his daughter had been kidnapped by gypsies. He was jailed for 18-weeks.
In mitigation, Amrit Jandoo told the court that the offence was a "short-lived" attempted robbery. "Aren't street robberies always short-lived?" Judge Francis Laird replied, before telling Malton that his offending has been "...driven by your drug addiction.
"It has blighted your life. You claim to have no recollection of this offence because you'd taken Zopiclone." The judge jailed Malton, of Suffolk Close in Hartlepool, for 30-months.
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