A TEENAGE robber who was wearing a knuckleduster when he helped mug an 18-year-old man in Ipswich town centre has been locked up for ten months.

Seventeen-year-old Brendan Potkins, who has three previous convictions for robbery, was one of three youths who confronted 18-year-old Laurence Quinton in Burlington Road, Ipswich at around 7pm on April 3, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Quinton was pushing his bike along the road when one of the youths with Potkins told Mr Quinton to give him his mobile phone adding, “there’s no need to make a fuss. If you do we will hurt you”.

Riel Karmy-Jones, prosecuting, said the youth then told Mr Quinton: “I’m going to start poking you,” which Mr Quinton took to mean that he had a knife.

The youth then produced a chisel and Potkins showed Mr Quinton the knuckleduster he was wearing on his right hand before putting his hand back in his pocket.

Mr Quinton dropped his mobile phone, which was worth �250, on the ground and it was picked up by the youth who had produced the chisel.

Before leaving with the phone the youth told Mr Quinton not to get the phone locked or “we’ll come back”.

Potkins, of Elderberry Road, Ipswich, admitted robbery and possessing an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to a ten-month detention and training order to run consecutively to a sentence he is currently serving.

Judge David Goodin declined to make an order preventing the publication of Potkins’ name because of his age due to the number of robberies he has committed.

Jude Durr, for Potkins, described the robbery of Mr Quinton as “the worst kind of showing off” and “terrible bullying”.

He said his client had no intention of using the knuckleduster and no violence was used to Mr Quinton.

He said Potkins was not the prime mover in the offence.