Two robbers sentenced to custody for stealing mobile phones and a bicycle on streets of Portsmouth

Paddy Cosgrave, 18, of Warren Avenue and Harley Cumber, 21, of no fixed abode, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, April 14 where Cumber was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and Cosgrave was sentenced to two and a half years in a Young Offenders Institution. A 17-year-old boy from Portsmouth has also been given a 12 month youth referral order in connection with these incidents.

Police have commended the victims of the incidents for coming forward and assisting with the investigation into the ‘abhorrent’ street robberies, which took place in January this year. A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officer described the nature of the crimes as ‘terrifying and traumatic.’

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The court heard how on Wednesday 7 September 2022 at around 10.30pm Cosgrave and Cumber approached a man in his 20s at the junction of Church Road and Clarendon Street and asked him for the time. They then threatened and assaulted him, taking two pizzas that he was carrying at the time.

Officers attended an address linked to both Cosgrave and Cumber in the early hours of Thursday, September 8 and located the empty pizza boxes. Both men were subsequently arrested and charged with robbery. It was then reported to police that two robberies and a theft had taken place on the evening of Monday 9 January this year.

A man in his 20s was approached by three people at approximately 9.30pm on Fratton Road and threatened for his mobile phone. He was not injured but the phone was stolen.

Shortly afterwards at around 10pm, a 19-year-old man was threatened for his phone by three people on Isambard Brunel Road. Again, he was not injured but his phone was taken. A short time later an 18-year-old man was assaulted on Sackville Street and his bike was taken.

Less than an hour later, at around 10.45pm, officers tracked three people matching the descriptions of the offenders to Portsmouth and Southsea Train Station. Cosgrave, Cumber and the 17-year-old boy were arrested and the stolen bike and both phones were recovered.

Detective constable Paul Osborne of Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Criminal Investigation Department, one of the officers leading the investigation, said: ‘Street robbery is an abhorrent crime on innocent members of the public, who are targeted whilst simply going about their day to day lives.

‘This crime is understandably a terrifying and traumatic ordeal for victims, which is why we are committed to bringing offenders to justice and ensuring that they face the consequences of their actions.

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‘We commend these victims for coming forward and assisting the police with this investigation. I hope that this sentence today shows that crime of this type will not be tolerated in Portsmouth, and hope that it allows the victims to begin to move forward with their lives.’

If you witness a crime, you can make a report throught the police website or by calling 999 in an emergency.