Teenage girls lured former friend into trap and robbed her

The 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds kicked and punched their victim in the street, pulled her hair and grabbed her handbag containing her phone, cash and gold rings.

Two of the girls, who were convicted by a jury of robbing the 17-year-old on February 18, were each sentenced to a 12-month Youth Rehabilitation Order with supervision, a three-month curfew and an extended activity requirement.

The third girl, who admitted robbery before the start of the trial, was sentenced to a 12-month Referral Order supervised by the Youth Offending team.

Judge David Hatton QC branded the offence “mean and despicable” but said it would not be in the public interest to lock the girls up.

“This was an isolated incident fuelled by a family feud,” he said.

Two of the girls had severely damaged their career aspirations and the third was “very vulnerable and deprived.”

Judge Hatton said that although the victim was lured to a flat in the Great Horton area of Bradford to be set upon by a gang, the defendants did not plan the robbery element of the offence.

“You are still all very young and you were even younger then and none of you has any previous criminal convictions,” he added.

Prosecutor John Harrison said yesterday that one of the 17-year-olds “set up” the victim by pretending they were still friends and taking her to a flat where another of the defendants lived.

Jayne Beckett, barrister for the 16-year-old, said her client was directly involved in the family feud and it was a very unusual offence.

Her supportive family was very distressed by what she had done. The girl had lost her college place and she was terrified of going to prison.

Solicitor advocate,Tom Rushbrooke, conceded it was a very unpleasant incident but urged the judge not to lock his client up.

Anne-Marie Hutton said the third girl deeply regretted her involvement and was nothing to do with the fall out among her former friends.