Young robbers avoid jail after cornering man after night out and stealing gold chain

A pair of robbers left a man terrified after they cornered him on a street and stole a gold chain and a designer hat on a night out.

The victim had enjoyed an evening of drinks in Newcastle city centre when he was targeted by Ali Alshamari, 19, and Jil Louah, 20, in the early hours of November 19 last year.

Alshamari initially approached the man and gave him a fist bump before he called over his co-defendant Louah.

Prosecutor Omar Ahmad told Newcastle Crown Court: "(The complainant) was on a night out in Newcastle on the 18th of November 2023 going into the early hours of the next morning.

"At around 2:30am he left the Mushroom bar and was walking in the direction of the Centre For Life while on the phone to a friend.

"He was intoxicated and just before 3am he was approached by a male now known to be Mr Alshamari.

"Mr Alshamari said something to him, he's unsure what and the complainant just gave him a fist bump.

"Mr Alshamari then, having identified him as a target, called over another male defendant and this was Mr Louah."

CCTV footage of the incident played in court showed the men corner their victim and after a short tussle, they could be seen to steal a gold chain worth £1,000 and a £360 Gucchi cap.

Louah is then seen to gesture towards his waistband to insinuate he had a knife on him however it was accepted a blade was never produced.

The pair then made off from the scene but were later located by officers and the gold jewellery was recovered from Alshamari.

In a victim statement, the man said: "This incident initially made me angry that someone thought they had the right to steal from me but as time has passed I have become more anxious and more upset.

"I have previously been the victim of a knife attack and this has brought it all back. I feel like I'm back to square one and I don't feel safe outside the house."

Alshamari, of North Finchley, London, and Louah, of Elswick Road, Newcastle, who both had no previous convictions, both pleaded guilty to robbery and were remanded in custody.

Rachel Kelly, defending Alshamari, told the court her client had arrived to the UK on a boat from Kuwait where he had received no education as a child.

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Ms Kelly said: "At the time of the offence the defendant was suffering from PTSD and that was as a result of how he became to be in this country when he was just 15-years-old.

"That was from witnessing a very traumatic incident where he came on a boat and saw a baby fall overboard and that still today has a significant effect on him.

"This behaviour was entirely out of his personality and character. He is very remorseful, he is ashamed, he has let his family down."

Jessica Slaughter, for Louah, said her client wanted to return to a more "constructive" life and find work again.

Mr Recorder Whitehead told the pair would have almost certainly been sent to immediate custody had they not been remanded there.

Instead he sentenced Alshamari to 21 months and Louah to two years, both suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

They will also carry out 45 rehabilitation days.