IPSWICH: A man who robbed and assaulted a teenager in a park after offering to sell him cannabis has been jailed for 14 months.

Anthony Bassett arranged to meet the 17-year-old in Alexandra Park, between Grove Lane and Back Hamlet, and once there pushed him against a fence and put his arm round his neck before demanding his wallet and mobile phone, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Bassett then felt under the youth’s shirt and put his hand down his trousers and said: “Give me two good reasons why I shouldn’t break your bones,” said Robert Sadd, prosecuting.

After the teenager handed over his phone and wallet, Bassett kneed him in the groin and kicked him in the back of the leg.

Bassett, 30, of Fuchsia Lane, Ipswich, admitted robbery on December 21 last year and yesterday was jailed for 14 months.

The court heard in 2003 he was jailed for ten years for raping a 15-year-old girl. As a result of his recent offence, Bassett was recalled to prison to serve the balance of his sentence. Mr Sadd said the expiry date of that sentence was March next year.

Lindsay Cox for Bassett said the offence took place in the early evening and the victim had not suffered any injury.

He said the property stolen during the robbery was of minimal value.

Mr Cox said that in the last nine years Bassett had spent most of his time in custody and appeared to be institutionalised.

n Is Bassett’s sentence tough enough? Should more be done to help stop reoffending? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or you can send an e-mail to starletters@archant.co.uk