Teenager sentenced following a series of knifepoint robberies in Southampton

A teenager who carried out a number of robberies and attempted robberies in the space of thirty minutes has been jailed for 34 months.

Billy Broomfield, 18, of Bluebell Road, Southampton pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob,  three counts of robbery, three counts of attempting to rob, having an article with a blade or point and assault on an emergency worker at Southampton Crown Court in September.  

The incidents were carried out within minutes of each other in the Swaythling area of Southampton on 27 August. They incidents are as follows:

• At 6.30pm Broomfield entered Subway on High Road, Southampton and assaulted a member of staff. He then produced a knife which he used to threaten the victim with whilst making demands for money.
• At 6.35pm, he approached a 30-year-old man at Swaythling Train Station. He threatened him with a knife whilst making demands for his property. The man gave him his watch and Broomfield left.
• At 6.40pm, he approached a 29-year-old man on Brookside Way. He threatened him with a knife and demanded his phone. The man handed Broomfield his phone and left.
• At 6.45pm, he approached a 57-year-old woman who was walking her dogs on Monks Way. He threatened her with a knife and demanded her phone. The victim told him she didn’t have a phone and ran off towards Brookside Way.
• At 6.50pm, he approached a 26-year-old man on Octavia Road. He threatened him with a knife whilst demanding his phone. The man didn’t hand anything over and ran off.
• At 6.55pm, he approached a 37-year-old woman and her partner on Mansbridge Road. He produced a knife and demanded they hand over their property. He held the knife towards the woman’s face and the man handed over cigarettes.
• At 7pm, he approached a 51-year-old man and his family in Riverside Park. He demanded the man hand over his wallet, money and phone whilst threatening him with a knife.

Officers arrived and the 51-year-old man assisted in detaining Broomfield.

Broomfield was arrested and taken to Southampton Central Police station, where he assaulted a police officer.  

Yesterday, Thursday, 17 December, Broomfield was jailed for 34 months for the offences at Southampton Crown Court.