Carl Strike was jailed for 28 months for robbery at Swansea Crown Court
A SWANSEA man who "befriended" a vulnerable victim before bullying him and robbing him has been jailed.
Carl Strike won the trust of his 41-year-old victim but then began to intimidate him to get money from him.
Swansea Crown Court heard that Strike became "increasingly aggressive" towards the man, and then while he was at the victim's house in Townhill took the man's laptop computer, mobile phone and Casio keyboard.
Brian Simpson, for the prosecution, described the victim as "vulnerable" and with some learning difficulties, and said he had begged Strike not to take his laptop as "his life was on the computer" — but the defendant took it anyway, and pawned it at Cash Converters for £20.
The victim told police he was scared that Strike would come to him every time he received his benefit payments and he would "simply be handing them over" to the defendant.
When Strike was arrested at his nearby house he told officers he had "problems with drug dealers" and that his victim had given him items to help him pay his debts.
Strike, aged 37, of Townhill Road, had previously pleaded guilty to robbery when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
The court heard Strike had 15 previous convictions for 32 offences.
Andrew Evans, for Strike, said the defendant had moved to Swansea from the South East of England to get away from offending.He added that his client was concerned he and his partner would lose the tenancy on their council house if he was sent to prison.
Judge Keith Thomas jailed Strike for 28 months, telling him: "You befriended a man you knew was afraid of you, and who you knew you could bully."
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Carl-Strike-jailed-bullying-robbing-man-learning/story-29371341-detail/story.html#ixzz4AydnYIk1
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