A 19-YEAR-OLD who armed himself with an imitation gun and robbed a man on a night out to help pay off £600 worth of debt had been jailed.

Liam Richardson, of Whitfield Avenue, Paddington, targeted Ryan Simpson on June 14 who was out drinking in Warrington town centre, hitting him in the face and knocking him to the floor after asking him if he had a phone.

Chester Crown Court heard on Friday how despite the attack, which took place in the alleyway behind McDonalds, Mr Simpson managed to get back on his feet before Richardson struck him a second time, felling him again.

While on the floor Richardson rifled through his pockets and took his iPhone, two £20 notes, cigarettes and his wallet.

CCTV footage captured Richardson heading up towards Sankey Street brandishing the BB gun and police tracked him down by The King’s Head pub on Winwick Street.

Police recovered the stolen iPhone from under a car next to where he was arrested and he led police to a bush where he had dumped the gun.

Richardson maintained that he had not hit his victim and that the phone was handed over when he asked for it despite a previous court hearing which ruled the victim’s version of events not Richardson’s were correct.

Anthony O’Donohoe, defending, said: “This behaviour was out of character, a young man who has only troubled the courts to a limited degree.

“This matter represents a significant escalation in criminality on behalf of the defendant.

“It is out of character because he comes from a good family. He has a supportive family who care for him.”

He added Richardson had got into debt on mobile phone contracts but did not want his family to know due to ill health of a family member.

“The gun wasn’t used in the commission of this offence,” added Mr O’Donohoe in Richardson’s mitigation.

Sentencing him to 27-months in a young offenders institute Judge Ian Trigger said: “During the early hours of the 14th and you were on your own in your house. You went out and I’m quite satisfied that you went out with the intention of stealing if you could.

“There is a side to you that is potentially dangerous.”

Richardson was handed a 27-month sentence for robbery and a six-month sentence for possession of an imitation firearm to run concurrently, minus 89 days served on a tag.