Three teenagers who robbed two students at knifepoint as they walked home from a night out have been locked up.

The victims of the attack had been out celebrating their A-level results and were in Norwich Road at around 5am when they were approached by the gang, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Two of the men were armed with knives and one of the students was robbed of his mobile phone and a wallet, which had been given to him for his 18th birthday, while the other had his wallet stolen, said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

Before the court were Joshua Ashton, 19, of Pin Mill Close, Ipswich, Jack Butcher, 18, of Dover Road, Ipswich, and Devon Sherlock-Fleming, 18, of Wellington Street, Ipswich, who all admitted robbing the two students on August 17.

Ashton, who was described as the ringleader, was sentenced to 22 months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution and the other two defendants were each sentenced to 16 months’ detention.

Judge Rupert Overbury said: “Street robbery is a serious criminal offence which needs to be deterred. It is often committed by young men like you who have had too much to drink and are full of bravado.”

During the incident one of the students had the blade of a knife pointed at him while the other was pulled to the ground.

Richard Conley, for Ashton, said his client had been given a knife by one of the other defendants and had unfairly been picked out as the ringleader. “This was a joint enterprise, hatched and committed together,” he said.

Neil Saunders, for Butcher, said the defendants had been drinking and it was the first time his client had appeared before a court.

Richard Wood, for Sherlock-Fleming, said his client was reluctant to get involved in the incident but had been under pressure from those he was with at the time.