A ROBBER has been jailed for more than two years after - with three other unidentified men - overpowering a man on on his way home from a night out in Newport, stealing his wallet, cash, bank cards and phone.

Luther Ryan approached his victim near the city’s magistrates’ court in the early hours of January 26 this year, and asked him for money.

Prosecuting counsel Peter Donnison told a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court that the man said he did not have any. Ryan - described as having a Pill accent - then grabbed him by the neck and three other men appeared and pinned him to the ground, before stealing the items and running off.

Ryan used the bank card shortly afterwards to book a taxi in an office - where he was identified - and later to buy items from a Tesco store.

In a statement, his victim said his confidence has suffered as a result of the robbery, and the psychological effects were more serious than the effects of being physically restrained.

He does not feel safe to walk the streets at night, and no longer even takes his dog for a walk after dark.

Ryan, 28, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to robbery and to two charges of committing fraud by false representation, relating to subsequent use of the bank card.

He had also previously pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to shoplifting offences carried out in January, when goods to the value of more than £1,200 were stolen - and to an assault linked to one of these. He also admitted making off without paying for more than £40 of fuel from a petrol station in Newport.

Defence counsel Gareth Williams said Ryan realised a prison sentence for the robbery charge was inevitable.

He resorted to shoplifting to get goods to sell to feed his drug addiction. He had been in prison, was homeless when released two weeks before last Christmas, and had no money.

“He was desperate and reverted to type. He is sorry (for the robbery). He was just in dire straits, but that is no excuse,” said Mr Williams.

Judge Jonathan Furness QC imposed a 20-month prison sentence for the robbery and two two-month prison sentences - to run concurrently - for the fraud offences.

Ryan was also jailed for a total of one month for the shoplifting, assault, and making off without paying offences, a term that will run consecutively to the robbery sentence.