A gang of robbers who ambushed a couple on their way home from a night out have been locked up for a total of 14-and-a-half years.

The four men from Smethwick were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday for a catalogue of crimes.

Ashleigh Evans, aged 21, of Goxall Way; Luke Dudley, 21, of Windmill Lane; Dwight Livingston, 19, of Jordan Close, and Benjamin Tait, 18, of Mill Drive were all put behind bars.

Judge Martin Walsh described their crimes as “unpleasant” and said they had caused great distress to their victims.

Mr Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, told the court the gang had been drinking at Smethwick’s Holly Bush pub when they spotted the couple walking home from an evening out. Evans and Tait ran ahead to get in front of the pair while Dudley and Livingston robbed the woman of her handbag.

Mr Shakoor said the man had also been held by the robbers before his wallet was stolen.

All four then ran from the scene and a cashpoint card belonging to the wife was later used to withdraw £250 from one bank and £20 from another after her Pin numbers were discovered.

Evans pleaded guilty to robbing the couple and to robbing another man of his bicycle. He also admitted three charges of theft and was locked up for five-and-a-half years.

Dudley, Livingston and Tait were all convicted of robbery and theft and will each serve three years.