A teenager who stole herbal cannabis told police he didn’t realise the act was illegal.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery after he approached his victim and demanded he hand over a small quantity of the Class B drug.

The incident took place on May 1 in Burwell.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, told Huntingdon Youth Court yesterday (Wednesday): “The victim made an attempt to walk away but he [the defendant] became more aggressive and then punched him twice in the face. He continued to attempt to punch him and to make threats and demanded he hand over the cannabis.”

The incident, which was filmed on a mobile phone, ended after the victim decided to hand over the drug, amounting to about £10 worth.

Mr Brown added: “In interview, he [the defendant] didn’t see that to commit a robbery of something illegal is in itself an illegal act.”

The teenager, who lives in Newmarket, has been released on conditional bail, and was told not to contact the victim.

The case was adjourned by magistrates for a pre-sentence report, with the hearing set for November 2.