A THUG who punched a vulnerable teenager in the face before stealing his mobile phone has been jailed for four years.

Karl Boness, of no fixed abode, approached Kci Baker-Clarke as he walked back from a youth club down an alleyway off Vyne Road, Sherborne St John, on July 20, just after 11pm.

Prosecuting, Tom Wright told Winchester Crown Court that the 16-year-old victim has Asperger’s syndrome.

He said: “It was very frightening for the young victim. Initially, Mr Boness and a female walked past but then they came back towards him and Mr Boness demanded his mobile.

“When he refused, he punched Mr Baker-Clarke to the face and knocked him to the floor.”

Mr Wright said Boness then took the teenager’s mobile phone before subjecting him to further violence, though the victim was not able to say if he had been kicked or punched.

Mr Wright added: “He told him he had a knife. It was very frightening.”

The young victim sought refuge at a nearby address, and was said to look “on the verge of tears” and was “in distress”.

The police found Boness nearby with blood on his trainers and knuckles and in possession of the stolen mobile phone. No knife was ever found or produced and Boness said he could not remember making the threat.

When arrested, Mr Wright said Boness “could give no explanation for why he had committed the offence but said he had been on M-CAT (mephedrone) and said he had committed the offence impulsively.”

Adrienne Knight, defending Boness, 26, described his family history as “awful” and “completely dysfunctional”. She said Boness had spent many years of his life in care, and was now ‘sofa surfing’ or living in a tent.

Miss Knight said that his IQ was so low that he had borderline learning difficulties, adding: “He did not ask to be born like this”.

She asked that eight other offences be taken into account, which were committed on July 14 and 15.

Judge Paul Dunkels described the offences as a “mini crimewave”, which Boness had gone on after being handed a community order by magistrates on July 14 for previous offences of non-dwelling burglary, motoring offences and battery.

The court heard Boness also has previous convictions for theft, attempted robbery, public disorder offences, grievous bodily harm, criminal damage and affray.

Judge Dunkels said: “I have read a statement from the victim’s mother in which she sets out his loss of confidence in going out. One can well understand why he has lost confidence.”

He sentenced Boness to four years imprisonment for the robbery and told him he would serve half of that before being released on licence.