A shameless thug who was captured on CCTV violently dragging a 12-year-old girl to the floor before robbing her mobile phone has been jailed for three years.
Patrik Gunar, 22, caused widespread outrage after police released harrowing footage of his shocking broad daylight attack on the schoolgirl last month.
The Slovakian national could be seen walking down the street before suddenly turning back and grabbing the youngster on Cambridge Street, in Derby.
The victim bravely fought back but the thug managed to overpower her and wrestle her to the ground before he calmly walked away with her iPhone 6s.
The girl had just been to the local shops to get groceries for her mum before she was callously attacked at 4.40pm on February 18.
Gunar wept in the dock as he pleaded guilty to robbery and was jailed for three years at Derby Crown Court.
In police interview, he told officers that his victim had been “easy prey” because she was “just a little girl.”
Gunar, of Derby, was caught after the video was shared widely online including by celebrities such as Piers Morgan, Gavy Roslin, Nick Knowles and Michael Vaughan.
Numerous offers of help were also made – including free self defence classes for the girl and nearly £2,000 was raised on a crowdfunding page.
In a victim impact statement, the youngster said she had been left feeling “scared and insecure” by the robbery and feared her attacker would find out where she lived.
Speaking at the time, Detective Constable Mick Stainsby, of Derbyshire Police, said: “The CCTV footage captures the horrific incident taking place.
“The 12-year-old victim has been very brave but was attacked for apparently no other reason than to steal her phone, a rose gold iPhone 6s.”
