A COUPLE posed as a prostitute and uncercover police officers to lure men into back streets to rob them.

Jenna Murphy, aged 29, worked with Ryan O’Neill, aged 35, to dupe a man near to Bridgeman Place in the town centre — then struck again while still on bail for the first robbery.

Laura Findley, prosecuting, said victim Thomas Hasoon was on a night out celebrating a leaving party with work colleagues on August 31 last year.

At 11.50pm he went to buy cigarettes and was approached by Murphy, of Tarvin Walk, Bolton, who asked him for a cigarette.

He refused to give one to her then she told him she would have sex with him for £20 if he went around the corner with her. He again refused.

The court heard Murphy then told Mr Hasoon she was a police officer and she was going to arrest him for soliciting, telling him he had to pay £80.

The victim tried to walk away but O’Neill appeared and attacked him, punching him in the face.

They stole £40 and Mr Hasoon ran away. His iPhone and cigarettes were also stolen.

The pair were then released on bail in February and just weeks later robbed their second victim, Sayeed Saheli, on March 3, who stopped to give Murphy a lift.

Murphy was standing at the side of the road near Orlando Bridge, off Manchester Road, with her thumb out as if signalling for a lift at 6.55pm.

She got into Mr Saheli’s car and directed him to a place where she wanted him to stop.

When the car stopped O’Neill, of no fixed address, opened the driver’s door and both defendants claimed to be police officers.

Murphy stole Mr Saheli’s wallet and O’Neill put his finger into the victim’s eye and threatened to gouge it out.


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They escaped with a credit card and national insurance card.

Bob Sastry, defending Murphy, said she had gained qualifications at school but became addicted to heroin after an ex-boyfriend’s father introduced it to her. She has since worked as a prostitute.

Colin Buckle, defending O’Neill, said the catalyst of his offending was drugs and he was doing well in custody.

Judge Peter Davies, sentencing, said: ”You were both part of a team. Each of you knew the extent of the offending which you were about to perpetuate.”

Murphy, admitted two counts of robbery and going equipped for theft. She was jailed for six years.

O’Neill, admitted two robberies, and was sentenced to a six year extended sentence, meaning he must serve three years on licence after the full sentence has been served.