Letter to judge spells more trouble for robber

A serial criminal got more than he bargained for when he penned a letter urging the Appeal Court to cut the sentence he received for robbing a Wolverhampton student.

Craig Pugh, who was part of a gang that attacked the terrified victim in a city centre subway, wrote: "Custody has been a real eye-opener and has made me think twice about the future. I am appealing because I did not have anything to do with the offence. Frankly, I think the sentence was harsh." However, the words spelled more trouble for the 19-year-old.

The communication only managed to get his term of detention increased by two weeks for wasting the time of the court.

Mrs Justice Rafferty, sitting with Judge Richard Brown in London, declared after reading the letter: "This is wholly without merit.

"Precious resources have been expended in considering and dispensing with this when they should have been used for other, more meritorious, appeals."

Pugh's gang targeted student David Atkinson as he walked through a subway in Wolverhampton city centre.

The victim was beaten unconscious and robbed after refusing to hand over his wallet to the robbers in Wulfruna Street last October.

The whole affair was caught on CCTV and the gang members, who tried to disguise themselves, were arrested and charged with robbery shortly afterwards.

Pugh, from Alderney Street, Pimlico, London, has 20 previous convictions involving 30 offences, including dishonesty, criminal damage, possessing a bladed article, failing to surrender and breaching court orders, it emerged.

Despite his appalling record, he had never been locked up before.

He was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court in June this year to three years and three months detention for robbery.

Mrs Justice Rafferty took the unusual step yesterday of ordering the 14 days Pugh spent on remand would no longer be deducted from his sentence, and would instead have to be served.