A man punched a teenager in the face five or six times before stealing his bike.

Liam Spencer, 21, stole the bike from the 16-year-old who he thought he had been in an argument with earlier that night.

Spencer’s co-defendant, Cameron Stanger, 25, stole a bike that belonged to the teenager’s friend.

David Traynor, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, said that on July 10, 2021, at about 11.30pm two teenagers had been on their bikes before stopping outside the Foyer on Prince’s Street in Blackburn.

One of the teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stood outside with the bikes while the other went in.

While protecting the bikes, the teenager was approached by Spencer, who was 19 at the time, who moved one of the bikes and punched him in the face about six times.

Stanger, who was 23 at the time, appeared and the pair stole the bikes and rode off.

The other teenager ran outside after hearing the commotion to find the bikes had been taken and the police were called.

Spencer, of Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, was named as a suspect and the teenager who was attacked found him on social media and confirmed he was involved.

The teenager who had been punched looked outside and realised his bike had been returned but that the chain had been broken.

Stanger also returned with a third man, who has not been identified, saying he had seen ‘the feds around the corner’.

Stanger, of Redlam, Blackburn, said he was ‘sorry for what he had done and that the bike was in a bush further up the road’.

The teenagers were ‘too fearful’ to go and look and the bike was stolen by someone else.

On July 20 – 10 days after the theft – Stanger came back again and said he ‘did not mean to do that and it was just a stupid thing’.

He also said that he was ‘put in a cell that night’ and that ‘if he saw the teenagers bike he would give it back to him’.

In interview, Spencer gave no comment answers while Stanger admitted his involvement but said it was ‘his guy’ that threw the punches and that he was ‘just with him’.

He also said he had done a ‘fat key of cocaine’ and was ‘very drunk’.

Judge Robert Altham, Honorary Recorder of Preston, jailed Spencer, who pleaded guilty to common assault and theft of a bike, for 24 weeks.

Stanger, who pleaded guilty to theft of a bike, was handed a 17-week sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He must is subject to a 12 week curfew between 8pm and 6am.

He must also complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation requirement days.