Byline: Liz Keen

A TEENAGE robber who stamped on his victim was caught when police found blood-soaked trainers in his bedroom.

Former private school pupil Alexander Kenealy had initially denied the vicious attack on the 29-year-old, Cardiff Crown Court heard. But when faced with the forensic evidence on his shoes, Kenealy, who carried out a previous robbery when he was 16, changed his plea.

Yesterday a High Court judge sentenced him to three years and four months in a young offender institution, as his mother and grandfather looked on from the back of the court. Defence barrister Heath Edwards said his mother blamed herself for Wolfsburg Jersey Wholesale Kenealy going off the rails after a successful education when he left his fee-paying school with nine GCSEs.

"It was around that time that she formed a relationship with a man who took an aversion to her son and he left home," Mr Edwards told Cardiff Crown Court. "He began associating with others who led a chaotic lifestyle."

As the teenager was led away to spend his 19th birthday today behind bars, the court was told his mother's relationship had now ended and he would have a stable home to return to at the end of his sentence.

Prosecutor David Thomas said victim Stuart Nicklin had been walking along Albany Road in the early hours of July 4 when he heard someone call out, asking the time.

He turned and was punched to the face by a male in a hooded top who charged at him.

He fell to the ground and was continually kicked and stamped on while being told "don't fight - we are going to take your wallet".

The next day, following hospital treatment for facial injuries, he picked out Kenealy from a picture identification parade. Police went round to his family home at Angus Street, not far from the
embroidered patches scene of the robbery, and were let in by his mother.

"There in his bedroom were the trainers with the blood still on them," Mr Thomas said.

Mr Justice Roderick Evans said Kenealy's position was aggravated by him having a second, unidentified, person with him when he launched his attack; the fact that he had caused injury; and because he had done the same thing in the past.