A MAN snatched a stranger off a town centre street, dragged him into a pub and violently robbed him.
When the victim tried to resist, he was beaten so savagely he was hospitalised.
Jake Kennedy
The attack happened on a busy Saturday night in front of horrified customers from two pubs and a takeaway restaurant.
Jake Kennedy had been drinking in Crickets in Thatcham High Street before moving on to The White Hart nearby, Reading Crown Court heard on Friday, January 10.
Hassan Baig, prosecuting, said 30-year-old Kennedy, of Matthews Close, Thatcham, spotted a stranger – a man named Kieu Van Le, who spoke no English – passing by outside.
Kennedy went outside, grabbed his victim by the neck and dragged him inside The White Hart, the court heard.
Then, customers suspected, Mr Le was forced to had over cash so Kennedy could feed it into a fruit machine, added Mr Baig.
Eventually there was a scuffle between the pair, said Mr Baig – and, ironically, they were both asked to leave.
Once outside, added Mr Baig, Kennedy jumped on his victim, raining punches until Mr Le eventually collapsed to the pavement.
Mr Baig went on: “Mr Le said he was assaulted all over his body.
“There comes a point when he falls to the floor, where he is punched to the head and receives a number of kicks.
“He is seen to be holding on to a coat which has £1,000 in it.
“Passers-by and customers from the Chinese restaurant try to intervene and shout ‘stop’.
“Customers from the Crickets pub come out and call the police.”
Finally, in an onslaught said to have lasted up to 20 minutes, a bruised and battered Mr Le lost his grip on his jacket, enabling Kennedy to flee with it.
Mr Le was taken to hospital, where he was admitted overnight and treated for his injuries.
Kennedy, meanwhile, was identified by police from CCTV images, the court heard.
He admitted robbing Mr Le of a leather jacket and £1,000 in cash on Saturday, August 31 last year.
That meant he was in breach of a community order imposed for a previous offence, said Mr Baig.
In addition, Kennedy has 13 other prior convictions for offences including battery, threatening behaviour and fraud by false representation.
Martin Hawkes, defending, said his client had a problem with binge drinking, which he was seeking to address.
He added: “He was addicted to Class A drugs and, as often happens, moved from one addiction to another.
“He had no reason to do this; it was merely because he was drinking, not to put too fine a point on it.”
Judge Sarah Campbell indicated there was “no way” she would consider suspending the inevitable custodial sentence, under all the circumstances.
Mr Hawkes replied: “Then, accepting it will be an immediate custodial sentence, I would urge Your Honour to make it as short as possible.”
Judge Campbell told Kennedy he had preyed on an innocent stranger, who did not speak English, and used “very significant force” to rob him.
She said: “You punched and kicked him in the head, repeatedly; you kicked him while he was on the ground.”
Kennedy was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
He will serve around half of that behind bars and the remainder in the community, on licence.