The teenager turned himself in to the police after learning that the poor victim he robbed on the street suffered from Asperger’s syndrome. Connor Dawes and his friend were hunting for their target in Nanitoni, Warwickshire, when they saw a young man walking alone down the street at 10 p.m.
The two of them followed her husband until he entered a dark alley, where teenagers approached him. And without thinking about their actions, they knocked him down and stole his phone and wallet. It was the first time the 19-year-old from Nottingham felt remorse for his lifestyle. His guilt increased to such an extent that he decided to surrender to the police.
Although the teenager changed his mind, he still had to be punished for his illegal actions.
Judge Silvia de Bertodano condemned Dawes ‘ act and said: «You may not have known this young man had Asperger’s syndrome, but you certainly knew he was vulnerable because he was alone at night and there were two of you.»
Judge Silvia de Bertodano condemned Dawes ‘ act and said: «You may not have known this young man had Asperger’s syndrome, but you certainly knew he was vulnerable because he was alone at night and there were two of you.»
«This is a young man who is struggling in life, and he described in touching terms how much worse this struggle has become as a result of this.
It is a pity that you have been brought to court for such a serious crime. I need to think about two boys; not only about myself, but also about the boy you attacked and robbed. It should be clear that people who do this end up in prison.»
Dawes was sentenced to 2 years in prison at Warwick Crown Court. Although he felt remorse for targeting an autistic person, would he feel the same for being the victim of a normal member of society However, it was a good thing that his conscience wasn’t completely lost!
