A man has been jailed for 19 months for offences committed in south Belfast including a street mugging.
Ethan Smith (24) admitted one charge of robbery, two counts of attempted robbery and one count of possessing an offensive weapon - all carried out on January 11 2023.
Referring to the incidents as “a successful street muggings and two attempted street muggings”, Judge Gordon Kerr KC imposed a 38-month sentence.
Smith, from Longlands Road in Newtownabbey, was told his sentence was being divided equally between custody and licence.
Co-accused Jake Gilmore (28), whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry, has already been sentenced and his 44-month term was also divided equally between prison and licence.
Belfast Crown Court heard that the first incident occurred in the King Street area at around 11pm.
The injured party was on his mobile phone when he was approached by two males who asked him for a cigarette.
The pair had snoods over their mouths and were wearing beanie hats, and after they were given a cigarette, one made a grab for the injured party’s mobile phone whilst the other told him to let go of it.
Despite trying to keep hold of his phone, the injured party was headbutted. He let go of his phone and the two robbers.
The second injured party was sitting in his car in Lawrence Street with his partner when two males approached.
He lowered the window of his car and one of the males asked him for the time before walking off.
A short time later the couple got out of their car and the same two males re-appeared. One, who was brandishing a broken bottle, raised it to the man’s face and said “this is a robbery, give me your money”.
A passing taxi driver witnessed the attempted robbery and shouted out his window.
The third incident took place on Westminster Street.
A couple saw two males at the end of the street and the smaller of the two - Smith - approached them with the broken bottle.
Smith then held the bottle to the man’s face and told him to hand over mobile and cash. When he told Smith they didn’t have any items of value, Gilmore said “leave them alone” and the pair walked off.
Police were alerted, descriptions of the two males were circulated and the pair were stopped and arrested in the Botanic area.
During an interview, Smith gave a largely ‘no comment’ response and denied the offences - but he subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges.
A defence barrister told Judge Kerr that his client had “severe mental health problems that he has struggled with all his life.”
Branding the offences as “opportunistic” and “without sophistication”, the barrister added that they were committed when Smith was “destitute” and taking drugs.