Last updated at 16:46, Thursday, 14 March 2013

A MAN has admitted carrying out a street robbery on a 12-year-old boy.

Liam Woodburn’s victim was robbed of £2 cash on New Year’s Day in Barrow.

The crime took place while 21-year-old Woodburn was on a suspended jail term for a common assault.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the robbery when he appeared at Preston Crown Court yesterday.

The case was adjourned at the request of the defence for a psychological report to be prepared on Woodburn.

Mr Richard Bennett, defending, told the court Woodburn had suffered a fractured skull in an unprovoked attack in 2011.

He had been knocked unconscious and then jumped or stamped upon the head.

“We have significant evidence of a personality change as a result of the attack”, said Mr Bennett.

Mr Bennett handed into the court a letter from the defendant’s doctor, plus another from the First Step support service.

A letter from the defendant’s mother was also given to Judge Graham Knowles QC.

Judge Knowles had sentenced Woodburn, of Langdale Grove, Barrow, to 14 weeks in custody, suspended for a year when he was sentenced at the court for a common assault last May.

Woodburn has now been granted bail and will be sentenced on May 13 for the robbery and a separate racially aggravated public order offence.

Judge Knowles told him he was likely to go to prison, regardless of the contents of the psychological report.

The judge added: “It is likely that if it makes any difference, it will only make a difference as to the length of the sentence. I told you last time that if you breached the order, prison was almost certain. You have breached it by a very serious offence.

“I want to make sure I have all the information about you so I can weigh up things before sentencing.

“Brace yourself for that day and behave yourself in the meantime.”

First published at 16:34, Thursday, 14 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk