Addict jailed for 25 months after terror attack in Nelson street

Father-of-four Naheem Mohammed had targeted Yasine Saleh in Nelson town centre on a winter’s night and took his mobile phone and bank card.

Mr Saleh was punched by Mohammed or his alleged accomplice, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Mohammed, who started committing crime when he was 15, was soon arrested because an officer matched the descriptions of the wanted men to those of two men who had been in Nelson Police Station earlier that day.

He has already served three years in jail for involvement in heroin dealing, and was in breach of two suspended jail terms.

Mohammed (31), of Gordon Road, Nelson, had admitted robbery, his 50th conviction.

Mr David Macro (prosecuting) said Mr Saleh was chatting to a friend about 7-15 p.m. on January 26th when the defendant and another man, who has not been charged over the robbery, appeared,

Mohammed grabbed the victim, and took his mobile phone and bank card out of his hand.

Mr Saleh would say he was then hit by one of the men.

Mr Macro said Mohammed told the victim: “Take us to the bank, we want £100 from you or we will have you.”

After being pushed around, Mr Saleh managed to get away, but was followed and dragged to Scotland Road, where there was a cash machine.

The prosecutor said Mohammed had a hold of Mr Saleh, but let go and the victim jumped over a fence and ran away.

As he made off, the defendant shouted at him: “Okay, give us £100 and we will give you your card and phone back.”

Mohammed dropped the card to try to lure the victim back, but he did not return.

Mr Macro said, earlier in the day, Mohammed and his associate had been in Nelson Police Station to get some property back.

The officer who had been on the desk had noted the description of the two men, and when the victim reported the robbery, she matched the culprits’ descriptions to the men she had seen earlier.

Mohammed and his friend were arrested in the street shortly after.

The defendant claimed he had been chasing a man who dropped his card and phone, and he had taken them home and put them in his mother’s bag.

Mohammed’s mother was spoken to by police and the bank card and phone were found in her bag. The defendant was interviewed and claimed Mr Saleh owed him £100.

The hearing was told in June and December last year, Mohammed had been given suspended jail terms for possessing heroin. He had 49 previous convictions, and was locked up for three years in 2003, for possessing heroin with intent to supply.

Mr Andrew Marrs (defending) said clearly Mohammed faced custody, but he did not instigate the confrontation, no weapon or disguise was used and the offence was not premeditated.

The barrister added: “He appreciates his drug and alcohol problems need to be conquered, otherwise there is little prospect of resurrecting his relationship with his wife and four children.”