Dad-of-two followed victim, punched him to the floor and robbed him

A 35-year-old father-of-two followed a man through a Derbyshire town, punched him to the floor and robbed him.

Derby Crown Court heard how Kaspars Dumbrovskis then kicked the victim while he was on the ground and used the bank cards he stole to buy booze.Jailing him for three years, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “This was an extremely serious offence.

"You were out at 3am in the night, I strongly suspect you had been drinking and I strongly suspect you drown your sorrows with alcohol.

“Having beaten the man to the ground and kicked him while he was defenceless on the ground you stole his money in order to buy more alcohol.

"It is obvious that only a prison sentence can be visited for this offence.”Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said the victim had been out in various pubs and bars in Chesterfield on the evening he was attacked, July 30.

She said at 3am he was walking home and realised he was being followed by the defendant.

The prosecutor said: “He was punched to the ground and was unconscious for a short period of time.

"He woke up and the defendant kicked him while he was on the ground and then searched him and took his items.“He took his mobile, money, bank cards and then used them on four occasions to buy alcohol from establishments close to where the robbery occurred.

"The victim went home and his partner was concerned for his safety. He went to bed and wrapped a tea towel around his head.”Miss Allen said the victim suffered a cut to his head and scratches to his ear as a result of the assault.

She said Dumbrovskis, of Compton Street, Chesterfield, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to robbery and fraud.

He has a previous robbery conviction from 2014 when he lived in Latvia, the prosecutor told the court.

Sonla Ahya, mitigating, said: “Nothing justifies or fully explains the commission of the robbery at the time but what can be said by way of explanation is that he was going through a very difficult time in his life.“He lost his job and perhaps more importantly to him he is involved in a custody battle with his ex-partner and has not seen his two young boys for a significant period of time.”Miss Ahya said the defendant, who appeared over a video link from HMP Nottingham for this week’s hearing with a cast on his arm, had been assaulted while in jail after confronting other inmates who allegedly stole items from him.