Man jailed for Derby girl street attack captured on CCTV

A drug addict who admitted the 12-year-old girl he robbed was "easy prey" has been jailed for three years.

Patrik Gunar was shown on CCTV forcing the girl to the pavement on Cambridge Street, Derby, on 18 February.

After a struggle, which went on for 25 seconds, the 22-year-old pulled the phone from her hand and ran off.

The girl has been left too scared by her ordeal to go outside, even momentarily, Derby Crown Court was told. Gunar admitted robbery.

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After the footage was widely shared online, numerous offers of help were made - including free self-defence classes for the girl and nearly £2,000 raised on a crowdfunding page.

The court heard Gunar had initially told police he had been held at gunpoint and forced to inject himself with drugs before being told to carry out the robbery.

Patrik Gunar was using methadone at the time of the attack

But later he admitted to officers the girl had been "easy prey".

Judge Nirmal Shant told Gunar: "What can be seen on screen is that you were determined to get [the phone] off her despite her best efforts to stop you from doing so.

"You held onto that phone while you ragged her about on the floor. She continued bravely to hold onto her phone but you carried on."

Prosecutor Mark Watson said the victim had screamed throughout her ordeal, but common sense kicked in because she was worried the defendant had a knife.

In a victim personal statement, which Mr Watson summarised to the court, the girl described how she was now too afraid to go outside for even a few minutes "in case they were going to get her again".

Gunar, who appeared by video link, broke down several times including when the CCTV of his attack was shown in court.

Proceedings were translated to Gunar, who came from Slovakia to Derby in 2010.

He had been introduced to heroin in 2016 and was using methadone at the time of the attack, the court heard.