A prolific offender lured his former girlfriend to a canal towpath so his new girlfriend could beat her up.
Then, as the 15-year-old victim lay on the floor after being kicked in the head and punched, 20-year-old Anthony Binfield snatched her phone.
Binfield had tricked the teenager into believing he wanted to get back with her and, after hugging, took her towards a tow path off Red Lion Lane in Kings Langley.
But it was a cruel hoax and his new girlfriend, aged 17, was there waiting to strike.
Later police officers went to Binfield’s home in Waterside, Kings Langley, where they found the BlackBerry phone he had taken.
At St Albans Crown Court Binfield appeared for sentence after admitting a charge of robbery.
The court was told the 17-year-old girlfriend who attacked his ex had already been dealt with by the courts – she was given a 12-month referral order and made to pay the victim £500 in compensation.
Binfield, who has racked up 30 offences since 2006 and has appeared in court 16 previous times, exchanged messages with the victim and they arranged to meet up the following afternoon on Sunday, October 21.
Judge Marie Catterson said that Binfield pushed the 15-year-old so that she fell over and the other girl then kicked her in the head and punched her before he knelt down and snatched her phone. The pair then walked off leaving the girl in tears.
Judge Catterson was told Binfield had taken the girl’s phone in the “heat of the moment” and it hadn’t been planned.
Sending him to a young offender’s institution for 20 months, the judge told Binfield “This was odious behaviour. Your lured your former girlfriend to the place where this happened.” She added he had shown “little sign of remorse.”