TRIO JAILED FOR VIOLENT ROBBERIES

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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Three muggers have been jailed after the violent street robberies of a ballet dancer and a postman within minutes of each other.

Ballet master Dominic Antonucci, 39, was walking through inner-city Ordsall in Salford when he was punched in the face, set upon and had his suitcase stolen, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Mr Antonucci, who performs with Birmingham Royal Ballet, had checked out of his hotel after a series of performances at the nearby Lowry Theatre in Salford while on tour.

He was walking through Ordsall Park at 11am on Saturday, February 1, when he was confronted by William Paine, 23, Liam Johnson, 18, and Jerome Tue, 18, all from Salford.

Mr Antonucci was punched in the face and had a bottle smashed over him before going to the ground where he was kicked and punched.

He shouted for help and as other people in the park approached the three offenders walked away in a "casual manner" with his suitcase, the court heard.
Battered and bruised Mr Antonucci was taken to Salford Royal where he was treated but still suffers from a serious injury to his left eye.

In a victim impact statement to the court Mr Antonucci said he is still having problems with his eye and had been unable to work for two months after the robbery.

Within minutes the three muggers had struck again, this time attacking John Owen, 52, a postman on his delivery round.

One of the defendants shouted: "Let's do him lads!" and he was then subjected to a "frenzied" attack, being kicked and punched while curled up in a ball before his attackers left with his postbag.

Mr Owen, a postman for 11 years, has felt unable to go out on rounds again following the attack, suffers anxiety attacks and his victim impact statement said the robbery had a "massive effect" on his personality.

"The defendants don't realise the after effect these incidents have on people," he told the court.

Police were called and all three were arrested after fleeing the scene of the attack.

All three admitted two counts of robbery at an earlier hearing.

Paine, a father-of-two, had numerous previous convictions, as did Johnson, including a conviction aged 13 for a robbery involving a knife. Tue had never been in trouble before.

The court heard all three had been drinking or taking drugs and could remember little if anything of the robberies.

Jailing Paine and Johnson for two years and Tue for 16 months, Recorder Rigby told them: "You are all going away.

"This is not just a tragedy for you but a tragedy for your family and friends and it is one you have brought upon them. I do hope you will finally see sense."

[postmanplod69]

Absolute Joke of a sentence it's no wonder so much crime gets committed in this country with slaps on the wrists like that,hope the postie and the other victim can get in with their lives.