AN armed robber, who forced a frightened schoolboy to hand over his mobile phone at knifepoint, has been jailed.

Norman Corbett, who had eight similar convictions, was sentenced to four and a half years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday.

The court was told the 21-year-old had committed carbon copy offences in the past, robbing young men of their phones while travelling on buses in the area.

The teenage victim and his friend had both been threatened by Corbett and two accomplices on a bus leaving the Merry Hill shopping centre.

The boys, aged 15 and 16 handed over their phones but one was returned because the screen was cracked.

Ian Ball, prosecuting said the other boy then refused to give the gang the pass code to his phone until Corbett pointed the knife at him.

Police traced the culprits using CCTV and Corbett and Curtis Hendrickson were already being held in custody for other offences.

Hendrickson, aged 26, of Hampton Road, Erdington, Leo Connolly, aged 22, of Langdale Road, Great Barr, and Corbett all admitted robbery and attempted robbery.

Connolly and Hendrickson were each jailed for three and a half years.

Recorder Abigail Nixon ruled that Corbett's licence on his release from custody should be extended for a further three years because there was a risk of him committing further offences.