Two men jailed after attack on veteran, 62

VICTIM WAS CELEBRATING IN PLYMOUTH

- CARL EVE

TWO men have been jailed after they targeted a former submariner who was heading home after celebrating Armed Forces Day, pushing him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him before robbing him.

Kieron Kelly, aged 28, of no fixed abode, and George White, aged 25 of Prince Maurice Road, Mutley appeared at Plymouth Crown Court having pleaded guilty to a number of offences relating to an incident on June 23 this year.

Prosecutor Sally Daulton told the court that the victim, a 62-year-old former submariner, was walking home after having a few drinks at the Clifton Inn, just ahead of the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Plymouth.

However, as he headed towards Mutley, Kelly called out to him, asking if he had a cigarette. The 62-year-old replied: “Yeah, I’m smoking it.” He then continued his journey home.

Kelly shouted out: “Are you trying to be funny?” The man carried on walking, but within seconds he realized that Kelly was following him and had called out to White, who was nearby: “We’ve got one here”.

The court heard that at this point a couple of screwdrivers the former serviceman used in his job fell from his pockets and one was picked up by Kelly, before shouting at the 62-year-old. By this time, Kelly was behind the man and White was in front. Kelly kicked the man, knocking him to the ground, whereupon he suffered what the victim later described to police was “a torrent of blows to the face”, mostly from White. The victim described White hitting him “with all of his force” a number of times.