A Margate robber who targeted his teenage victim just 24 hours after being released on licence from prison has been jailed for four years.
As the teenager walked through Margate town centre in the early hours of 20 May after a night out, he was spotted by 31-year-old Marcus Turner who was standing in Union Row with a woman.
Turner asked the victim for cash but the teenager said no and walked on. The victim was then grabbed by Turner and wrestled to the floor, hitting his hip against the kerb. The victim’s phone, wallet and other items were stolen.
When two people tried to intervene, Turner warned them that the same would happen to them if they didn’t leave the area immediately.
Turner was seen to walk away after the attack, rummaging through the stolen wallet as he went.
The victim raised the alarm. They suffered injuries which needed hospital treatment.
Tracked down
Police were able to track the stolen phone to a graveyard near Victoria Road where they found Turner. By activating a remote alarm on the phone, officers discovered that Turner had hidden the phone in his left sock. The stolen wallet and other items were found in the graveyard.
Turner, of Birds Avenue, Margate, carried out the robbery just over 24 hours after he had been released on licence from prison, having been jailed for another robbery last year.
At court he denied the offence but a trial found him guilty of robbery.
He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday 1 November to four years in prison.
Lies
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Neil Martin said: ‘Turner thought he could just target a person and take what he wanted. His actions were violent, bullish and unacceptable. Unfortunately for him, the security settings on most new phones makes them very difficult to steal.
‘Even in court he tried to make up a story about why he had the phone but the jury saw through his lies and he is now back in prison.’