A drunk and crack cocaine addict who threatened a man on a bus with a corkscrew has been jailed.

Nathan Allen, 22, of Whitley Wood Road, Whitley, admitted attempted robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon at an earlier hearing.

Jon Sank, prosecuting, said Allen tried to rob Graham Silk on the top deck of a bus on July 10.

He pressed a large silver corkscrew into Mr Silk’s side and “poked him several times”, demanding his phone and wallet. Mr Silk escaped when another passenger intervened.

CCTV of the incident was shown to Judge Ian Grainger at Reading Crown Court – sitting at the town’s magistrates court – last Friday.

Mr Sank said Allen was on bail from a previous incident at the time of the attempted robbery and in breach of a curfew. The previous offence involved Allen and three other men in Earley after midnight on December 4, last year.

Robert Sweet was walking home when he was approached by four men who asked him for the time.

Mr Sweet asked to be left alone and Allen said: “Have you heard of a murderer?” One of the men held Mr Sweet while Allen punched him in the face four or five times.

Mr Sweet, who wore glasses, suffered a cut nose, swelling and tenderness to his face and eye problems which, according to an ophthalmology report, might or might not have been caused by the attack.

Michael Harrison, defending, said the December incident was almost the first offence Allen had committed but since that time there had been a series of minor offences of dishonesty connected with his “toxic alcohol and drug addiction”.

He said Allen pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and expressed remorse. While in custody he had taken courses to address his behaviour and alcohol and crack cocaine habit. Mr Harrison said the offences were “frankly inexcusable” although Allen could recollect little.

Judge Grainger spoke of the distress caused to the victims of the attempted robbery and assault and described them as “deeply shocking offences”. He added that they were “prefaced by serious threats, so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified”.

For the assault, Allen was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, for the attempted robbery 20 months to run consecutively and for the weapon charge he was jailed for eight months to run concurrently.

Site navigation

• Home
• News
• Business
• Sport
• Entertainment
• Lifestyle
• Jobs
• Property
• Motoring
• Classifieds