A man has been jailed after police tracked a stolen phone as he travelled on a bus between Salford and Manchester.
Remi Oates, 24, of no fixed abode, was sentenced along with Nathan Mellor, 30, of Mitchell Gardens in Manchester, following a violent robbery which took place in Manchester city centre during the early hours of Tuesday, 9 December.
Both men have been handed jail sentences for their involvement in assaulting multiple victims and stealing a phone, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed on Tuesday, 14 April.
In the aftermath of the December attack, officers tracked the stolen device using the iPhone’s ‘Find My’ app, which showed it travelling between Swinton and Manchester city centre.
At approximately 6:25am, officers stopped a bus at Piccadilly Gardens which they believed the suspect who had the phone was travelling on.
As passengers were getting off the bus, police detained a man who was identified as Oates.
A search revealed a knife and the victim’s blue iPhone, which was immediately identified by the victim, and he was arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of a bladed article.
He has now been sentenced to 31 weeks in prison for his involvement in the robbery.
Meanwhile, Mellor has been handed a 27-month sentence and has an indefinite Criminal Behaviour Order not to enter the city centre.
Police explained that officers were called to Manchester city centre at 4:35am in December to reports that a group of people had attacked and robbed several victims.
The victims were walking from Market Street towards Piccadilly Gardens when they were approached by a male, a statement confirmed.
The offender forcibly snatched the victim’s blue iPhone from his hand, stating he would stab him if he was not given any money.
Friends of the victim tried to restrain the suspect in an attempt to prevent him from getting away with the phone.
During this struggle, a group of unidentified males gathered and began assaulting the victims, which then allowed the suspect to leave the area.
A witness reported that the victims had been threatened with a knife, prompting an urgent police response.
Following enquiries, officers located a man matching the suspect’s description near Back Piccadilly. The man initially provided false details but was later identified as Nathan Mellor.
Mellor was arrested on suspicion of robbery. A distinctive phone case belonging to the victim was found in his possession during a search.
Further checks confirmed Mellor was in breach of a Criminal Behaviour Order prohibiting him from entering Manchester city centre.
The order was issued by Manchester Crown Court in September 2023 for a period of three years. He was additionally arrested for breaching this order.
Officers continued to track the victim’s stolen phone using Find My, which showed it travelling between Swinton and Manchester city centre.
At approximately 6:25am, officers stopped a bus at Piccadilly Gardens which they believed the suspect who had the phone to be travelling on and he was detained after leaving the vehicle, identified as Oates and then arrested.
Police Constable Royle from our Neighbourhood Crime Team said: “Incidents of this nature are shocking and our thoughts are with the victims involved.
“They bravely assisted officers in identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.
“Violence and intimidation of this kind have no place in our communities, and we will do everything we can to put those who choose to commit these senseless crimes before the courts.
“If you, or anyone you know, is ever the victim of a crime like this, please be reassured that support is available and that we will relentlessly pursue offenders.”
