A TEENAGE street robber responsible for a campaign of vandalism, violence and shoplifting in York and Selby has been jailed for 40 months.

Kieran Christopher Swankie threatened a young man with a baseball bat when the victim was with a friend late at night, Martin Robertshaw, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

The robber said: “Give me everything you have, drugs, money and phone. I am going to prison in two weeks, I don’t care what I do.”

Despite the victim’s friend recognising him and telling him to stop, Swankie made the victim unlock his mobile phone and hand it over, together with his cash.

As he left, Swankie told the victim: “If you tell the police I will come round to your house.”

He left the victim so petrified he is too terrified to go out at night in Selby town centre, and has suffered work problems because all his work contacts were on the mobile phone, said Mr Robertshaw.

Swankie, 19, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the robbery. He was on bail at the time for one assault, four thefts and four criminal damages, one offence of being drunk and disorderly and three offences of jumping bail. All were committed between March 9 and August 5 in York and Selby.

Jailing him for 40 months for the robbery, the Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Batty QC, said he had been high on drink or drugs when he carried it out in Selby town centre at 2.30am on August 12.

For him, Graham Parkin said he had never been in trouble with the police until last year when he had become estranged from his family. He also had a history of psychiatric problems.

Since being remanded in prison, Swankie had stopped drinking and taking drugs and was getting help.

In a separate hearing York magistrates gave Swankie ten weeks for all the offences other than the robbery, to be served concurrently with the judge’s sentence. He had admitted all the offences at earlier hearings.

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, said the four criminal damage offences to doors, windows and an iPad in York and Selby caused more than £4,000 damage. The theft offences, all of food from Selby shops totalled £81.77.

Mr Parkin told magistrates Swankie stole to eat as he couldn’t get benefits because he didn’t have any identity documents.