Two muggers targeted a man in the streets during the early hours of the morning as he was searching for an escort he had just arranged to meet. The victim, who had withdrawn £300 in cash to pay for the escort, was struggling to locate the specified rendezvous point when Anthony O’Connell and Lee Thomas attacked him. Swansea Crown Court heard that O’Connell, who had been recently released from prison after serving time for grievous bodily harm, and Thomas, who was on licence following a burglary sentence, assaulted the victim, leaving him without his money and phone.
The victim had spent the evening socialising in bars on Swansea’s Wind Street before deciding to book an escort online. Following text instructions, he withdrew cash from a nearby ATM and headed to the meeting location. However, he encountered difficulties finding the place and was accosted by O’Connell and Thomas on Singleton Street. The attackers proceeded to assault the victim, with O’Connell using a cane to press on the victim’s throat.
After being robbed of his cash and phone, the victim managed to escape and report the incident to the police. CCTV footage helped in identifying the perpetrators, leading to their arrest shortly after the robbery. O’Connell and Thomas, both of whom pleaded guilty to robbery, were sentenced to four and a half years in prison each, with O’Connell receiving an extended seven-year sentence.
In court, it was revealed that O’Connell had a history of convictions for various offences, including grievous bodily harm, while Thomas had a lengthy criminal record involving theft, robbery, and other charges. O’Connell’s defence highlighted his struggles with mental health issues and expressed a desire for rehabilitation, while Thomas acknowledged his involvement in the incident but expressed a wish to distance himself from drugs.
Judge Catherine Richards condemned the attackers’ persistent assault on an intoxicated victim and emphasized the need to protect the public from O’Connell’s potential danger, hence the extended sentence. The victim, in his impact statement, expressed the lasting effects of the attack on his sense of security and trust in others. The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by individuals in vulnerable situations and the importance of vigilant law enforcement efforts to ensure public safety.