Jail for claw hammer robber who stole mobile phone in ‘completely unprovoked attack on an innocent victim’

A man who hit a teenage student with a claw hammer before stealing his mobile phone in a “completely unprovoked attack on an innocent victim” has been jailed.

The victim, a 17-year-old boy, was walking home from school in Peterborough with a friend at about 3.30pm on December 14 when James Gorton, 19, approached them in Dingley Court and pulled the hammer from his jacket.

Gorton told the victim to hand over his mobile phone before hitting him round the leg with the hammer and demanded the victim put his password into his phone, which he did before running off.

Officers arrested Gorton five days later after he was identified on CCTV.

Gorton, of Chelveston Way, Peterborough, initially denied the robbery but changed his plea to guilty at Peterborough Crown Court on January 18.

This morning (Monday March 5) he appeared at the same court and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Detective constable Scott Lloyd said: “This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent victim.

“Thankfully he was not seriously hurt but Gorton could have caused some severe damage with that hammer.

“The sentence given today shows just how seriously this type of crime treated.”