London - A mugger caught after police followed his footprints in the snow struck just two days after arriving in England from Lithuania to start a new life.
Margiris Jogela, 22, sneaked up on a student as he tried to unlock his bike at 4am after a drinking session.
The victim was clouted on the head and punched, ending up on the ground.
With an accomplice, Jogela then stole his wallet, mobile phone and cash before running off.
But they were spotted by a CCTV operator who alerted police and two officers were able to follow their trail.
Jogela’s shoes matched the snow prints and he was arrested.
Yesterday he was jailed for 32 months after admitting the robbery in Norwich last month. However, the second man escaped, the city’s crown court heard.
Judge Peter Jacobs, who was shown footage of the attack on the University of East Anglia student, said it was a ‘serious and frightening’ offence which the men had obviously planned.
He told Jogela: ‘You were caught almost red-handed because it was possible to follow the footprints.’
The judge added that committing the crime so soon after coming to Britain showed his presence was ‘totally undesirable’.
But, he said, there was ‘nothing he could do about that’. - Daily Mail