AFTER being attacked in the street by three young men who tried to rob him, a Rugby teenager was warned that ‘snitches get stitches’ in an attempt to get him to drop his complaint.
But at Warwick Crown Court two of his attackers were given suspended sentences – and although the third was jailed, he has already served his sentence on remand.
Dion Mendez, Reace Jones and Lee Powell had all pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of the 17-year-old victim during the incident in March last year.
Powell also admitted two charges of witness intimidation, with two youths, aged 15 and 17, also pleading guilty to one of those offences.
With those five in the dock was Jordan Hope, whose plea of not guilty to a further allegation of intimidation but guilty to an alternative offence of battery was accepted.
Prosecutor Graeme Simpson said on the afternoon of March 17 last year, the 17-year-old victim was on his way to work when Mendez approached him from behind.
Mendez, who was with Jones and Powell, demanded: “Give me your stuff or you’ll get banged.”
Jones then punched him to the head, after which he was punched and kicked by the whole group after he fell to the ground, with one of them shouting to stamp on his head.
A woman who lived nearby bravely came out of her home to go to the teenager’s aid – and the attackers ran off.
When later arrested, Mendez made no comment, and both Powell and Jones denied being involved – but were picked out in an identity procedure, said Mr Simpson.
The following day Powell and the two young defendants approached the victim as he was on his way to shops in Rugby.
He was punched and told to ‘drop the charges,’ and the 17-year-old threatened to stab him.
A week later, after those threats had had no effect, Powell sent him a series of threatening messages including one which menacingly read: “Snitches get stitches.”
Then at the end of March the victim was on his way to a shop when he was approached by Hope who made threatening comments and punched him to the face.
Hope aimed a second blow, which he was able to dodge, and he punched Hope before running to a nearby chip shop to seek refuge, added Mr Simpson.
Powell, 21, of Marlborough Road, Rugby, was sentenced to 21 months in prison suspended for 12 months and was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and to take part in a rehabilitation activity.
Jones, 18, of Pickard Close, Rugby, was given a 15-month sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Mendez, 20, of Whernside, Brownsover, was jailed for 19 months – which Judge Sylvia de Bertodano observed he had served because of the time he had spent in custody on remand.
Hope,19, of Loverock Crescent, Rugby, was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £300 compensation to their victim.
The case of the 15-year-old, who cannot be identified because of his age, was remitted to the youth court, while the 17-year-old’s sentence was adjourned because he is facing another matter, and they were both granted bail.
