A TEENAGER has been jailed after a series of terrifying street robberies over the course of one evening.

In a period of five hours, a gang of armed robbers terrorised the streets of Orford – holding a meat cleaver to a 15-year-old boy's throat and snatching a 62-year-old woman's handbag.

Ringleader Caine Owens was last week handed 27 months in prison over the attacks, but his two accomplices were spared jail.

Warrington Guardian:

Caine Owens

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the first in a spate of robberies on Saturday, January 26 2019, came at around 7pm.

The 15-year-old victim was walking on wasteland near to Battersby Lane in order to meet up with his friends when he was approached by the three defendants, who were wearing snoods partially covering their faces.

One of the trio held a 'butcher's knife' to the boy's throat and demanded his possessions.

He handed over his mobile phone and bank card, as well as £7 cash.

The card was then used by 19-year-old Owens, of Greenwood Crescent in Orford, to buy food and drinks worth £7.70 in the Greenwood Fryery on Marsh House Lane and £21.99 of goods in a convenience store.

All three robbers were caught on CCTV in the premises.

A second incident came at 8.30pm, when a 54-year-old man was attacked from behind in an alleyway off Orford Lane.

After one of the teens brandished the meat cleaver, he gave them a £5 note and fled.

Approximately 15 minutes later, a 62-year-old woman was walking near to the Albion pub when she had her handbag forcefully pinched by a 17-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – after being distracted by two other assailants.

Warrington Guardian:

At around 11pm, a 27-year-old man was walking along Lythgoes Lane was approached by Owens and another 17-year-old whose identity cannot legally be revealed.

The pair said they would 'chop him' with the weapon if he did not empty his pockets, taking his cash card and a 100 koruna note before fleeing in the direction of the Tesco Extra supermarket on Winwick Road.

Both defendants were then seen on CCTV attempting to use this bank card in the store's cash machines and trying to exchange the Czech money into sterling.

They were spotted by a police officers, who recognised the duo as matching the descriptions of teenagers wanted over the robberies, but Owens and the youth fled the scene.

Warrington Guardian:

In the early hours of the following morning, a friend of the 15-year-old boy received messages from his stolen mobile saying: "Whose phone have we robbed?

"Tell him he's not getting it back."

A statement read out to the court on behalf of the 62-year-old victim said: "I hope I will be able to come to terms with what has happened to me.

"The effects are far beyond the loss of possessions.

"I don't know how anyone could treat other people's lives and property with such disrespect."

The 17-year-olds, who have no previous convictions, each admitted three counts of robbery and were handed two-year youth rehabilitation orders by judge Rachel Smith on Friday, April 3.

Owens – who has a string of previous convictions for offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft and harassment – admitted three counts of robbery and two of fraud, as well as three further charges of robbery in relation to more attacks in the Salford area on December 28.

He and co-defendant Harry Allan targeted their victims, including a student and the on-duty concierge of an apartment block, early in the morning while armed with a six-inch knife.

Warrington Guardian:

Harry Allan

Nineteen-year-old Allan, from Eccles, was jailed for two years after admitting three counts of robbery.