A TWENTY-six-year-old Gorse Hill man who mugged a teenager in a town centre subway has been jailed for two and a half years.

Cameron Galloway grabbed his victim and slammed him against the wall before threatening to stab him in the terrifying attack.

Jonathan Couldridge, 19, was walking home from work on Wednesday, March 30 when he was approached by Galloway.

Stacey Turner, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court that the victim was listening to music on headphones when his attacker asked him the time.

"He said it was 7.20pm. He turned to face him and was surprised to note the man was still approaching," she said.

"When he appeared in front of him he was grabbed around the throat, pushed against a wall and told 'Give me your money'.

"He removed his wallet. The note section was empty so he began to get coins out. He was told 'Hurry up and give it to me or it's a knife in your side'."

Galloway then said 'I'll take the whole thing' before demanding his mobile phone and MP3 player or he would be stabbed.

The defendant then walked away and the victim reported the matter to the police, who arrested Galloway later that evening.

He had the mobile on him when they picked him up and the MP3 was found in his room at town centre hostel Culvery Court.

He admitted what he had done saying he had just had a row with his girlfriend and was drunk. Miss Turner added: "He was indeed remorseful during that interview." Galloway, of Argyle Street, pleaded guilty to robbery.

Jonathan Simpson, defending, said that in the past his client had been a drug user but was clean at the time of the offence.

"Knowing about his need to fuel his drug habit in the past I was expecting when asking him the reason for offending to say 'what drug did you need? What drug were you on?'" he said.

"He wasn't on drugs and didn't need drugs. He had had an argument with his partner and had been drinking extra strength lager, which he wasn't used to."

He said that despite the threat he did not have a knife with him.

Jailing him Judge Tom Longbotham said: "You had no knife but the young man pushed against the wall and subject to the robbery did not know that.

"This was street robbery with overtones of violence and at least the threat of the use of a weapon."