Hamilton teens imprisoned

Jul 2 2009

TWO teenage Hamilton yobs were each caged for two years and eight months last week for carrying out a series of robberies and attempted robberies using knives.

Ross Drummond (19) and Ryan Hynd (17) went on a violent crime spree on February 5 this year in Hillhouse Road, threatening to stab their victims and demanding that they hand over their possessions.

They twice robbed people of their mobile phones by threatening them with a knife, and tried to rob another two. They asked one if he had anything on him, and forced the other to turn out his pockets.

Hynd, acting alone, also tried to rob another man in Hillhouse Road, demanding that he give him what he had and forcing him to turn out his pockets.

And Drummond assaulted a George Mitchell by punching him on the face to his injury.

When Hynd and Drummond appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month they admitted charges of assault and robbery and assault and attempted robbery, which in Hynd’s case had been committed while he was on bail on another matter.

However, not guilty pleas to a number of other serious charges, offences said to have taken place in Hamilton on February 5, were all accepted by the Crown.

These included alleged assault and robberies, and assault and attempted robberies, breach of the peace, resisting police officers and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Drummond had also been accused of assaulting a Melanie Robertson by kicking the bike she was riding, attempting to pull a rucksack from her, threatening her with violence and attempting to rob her. However, his not guilty plea to the charge was yet again accepted by the Crown.

When Drummond, of Raeburn Crescent, and Hynd, of Kelvin Gardens, appeared last Wednesday, Sheriff John Stewart sentenced both of them to two years and eight months in a Young Offenders’ Institution.