His own barrister agreed that he ‘richly deserved’ a prison sentence
Lewis Wallace has been jailed for three years(Image: Humberside Police / British Transport Police)
A prolific young criminal with a “truly appalling” list of 122 previous offences targeted an unsuspecting man for a vicious and prolonged street attack in the early hours of the morning. The victim was “pushed to the ground, kicked, punched, dragged by his clothing and prevented from escaping” during the aggressive and merciless robbery.
Serial thief Lewis Wallace stole items from the man and left him with a black eye and bleeding from his ear, Hull Crown Court heard. Wallace, 24, of no fixed address but from Hull and recently in custody on remand, admitted an offence of robbery on February 10.
Billy Torbett, prosecuting, said that the man visited a friend at her home and stayed for a few hours before leaving to walk home through Hull city centre. He was outside a pub in Anlaby Road at 12.30am when he came into contact with Wallace, who was loitering around the front area.
They did not know each other. Wallace asked if the man wanted to “grab some alcohol” and go back to his home. The man agreed but he later “had a bad feeling” that Wallace was going to rob him.
There was a physical confrontation near the Paragon railway and bus station area and the man’s rucksack disappeared. Wallace was aggressive and animated, jumped on top of the man and kicked him in the head.
The victim tried to grab Wallace’s leg but Wallace got on top of him. He kicked the man but he was pushed away by another male.
The man tried to get up but Wallace pushed him to the ground and kicked him. Wallace took the man’s hoodie, went through it and said “Yes!” – as though he was pleased with himself.
Items stolen included a mobile phone, a wallet containing £210 cash, a bank card and utility cards. No attempt seemed to have been made to use the bank card later.
The man suffered a black eye, bleeding from his ear and pain to his ribs. He was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary but he discharged himself shortly afterwards.
He did not stay long enough for his injuries to be treated. During police interview, Wallace made no comment to all questions.
He had convictions for 122 previous offences, 84 of them theft-related and three involving assaults, between 2017 and this year. He had a robbery conviction in 2018, when he was aged 16, as well as a series of offences of burglary.
Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Wallace turned “nasty” and he “richly deserved” a prison sentence. “There is no excuse for this type of behaviour,” said Miss Scott. “It was mean offending.”
Wallace suffered a “dreadful childhood” and he had never had paid employment. “At the time of the offending, he was homeless,” said Miss Scott.
“There does seem to be some light at the end of a very dark tunnel. He recognises that he has a bad record. He has learned his lesson. He wants to be on the outside as soon as possible.”
Recorder Taryn Turner said that it was a sustained and aggressive robbery and Wallace repeatedly used force against the man. “This was not a brief incident,” said Recorder Turner.
“He was pushed to the ground, kicked, punched, dragged by his clothing and prevented from escaping from your aggression. It was a robbery involving repeated force for the purpose of stealing property.
“There was sustained violence and targeting of a vulnerable victim. The robbery was prolonged. You have a truly appalling criminal record for a man aged only 24.”
Wallace was jailed for three years. “This is not a sentence in which a suspended sentence of imprisonment can properly be considered,” added Recorder Turner.
After the hearing, Detective Constable Jack Robinson, of British Transport Police, told Hull Live: “This was a violent and sustained attack on a man who was specifically targeted by Wallace. I would like to praise the victim for the courage he has shown throughout this investigation.
“I welcome the sentence imposed by the court, which reflects the seriousness of the offence. I hope it gives Wallace the opportunity to reflect on the harm he has caused.
“Robbery is a priority offence for British Transport Police and we will relentlessly pursue those who seek to commit such crimes. This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting the public and ensuring offenders are brought to justice.
“I would urge anyone who is a victim of robbery to report it to us on 61016 or by calling 999 if it has just occurred. We hope this case serves as a clear deterrent to anyone considering similar offending in the future.”
Did you know you can make Hull Live a preferred source of Hull news in Google, which will mean you get more of our breaking news, exclusives, and must-read stories straight away? Here’s more information about what this means and how to do it – you can also do it straight away by clicking here .
