JAILED: Gang put gun to teenage trick or treater's head

The 15-year-old victim, who was making his way back to his Aldridge home, first had a knife poked in his stomach, said Miss Joanne Wallbanks prosecuting.

Then one of the three robbers produced a gun, pushed it against the schoolboy's head and told him: "Tell me what you have got or I will shoot you."

The gang then took his mobile telephone and ipad before fleeing from the scene but they were arrested a short time later in the area by police.

The frightening robbery was a joint enterprise between the three robbers and it left their victim with serious psychological harm, Miss Wallbanks told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

She said the boy, who was now 16, had difficulty sleeping and he struggled to get the robbery out of his mind, adding in a victim impact statement: "I keep thinking I might have died."

He said he was scared it could happen again, he was afraid to go out alone and his parents were now arranging counselling to help resolve his problems.

Judge Kristina Montgomery QC told Gary Smith and Tahj Smith, both 23, and a 16-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons: "Once the weapons had been produced it showed a common intention that those weapons should be used in the robbery."

The victim, she went on, was 'subjected to a protracted and terrifying ordeal' and it was clear he had suffered psychological damage.

Gary Smith of Ingoldsby Road, Northfield, and Tahj Smith of Bath Road, Wolverhampton – they are not related – together with the 16-year-old admitted robbery and possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The two Smiths, Bermudan born, were told by the Judge it was likely they would both be deported once they had completed their time behind bars. Miss Wallbanks told the court that as the boy made his way home he was circled by the three robbers and he was first patted down for his property before they took his phone and ipad.

Mr Richard Gibbs defending Gary Smith said he was full of remorse for his actions and he accepted what he did had a distressing effect on the boy.

Mr Andrew Tucker for Tahj Smith said he had fallen into bad company and he allowed himself to be dragged into the incident

Mr Andrew Baker for the 16-year-old who had previous convictions for offences including robbery and using threatening behaviour said he had had a 'wretched' life and his criminal activities that started with petty offending had escalated.

The Judge told him: "You have been given opportunity after opportunity by courts in the past."