A 60-YEAR-OLD man subjected to a terrifying robbery in Bolton town centre has been left too scared to leave his house at night, a court heard.

Marek Bil and Damian Siwak approached Brian Reynolds from behind and pinned him down while they searched his jacket, taking two mobile phones.

Mr Reynolds had enjoyed a night out with his wife at the Grosvenor Casino, in Ormrod Street, and had won £500.

He told his wife to stay at the casino while he walked to get a taxi home, just after midnight on February 12.

Mr Reynolds was initially approached by one of the pair near Black Horse Street, who said: "Give us your money", but he replied: "I am skint."

He believed he had seen the last of them, but when he reached Back Cheapside, felt a hand on his shoulder and was then grabbed around the neck, causing him to fall to the floor.

The two thugs then searched his jacket, but did not manage to find the cash and instead took a mobile phone worth £300, and another worth £10.

However, the incident was captured on CCTV and police arrested the pair within minutes, who dropped the phones while they were being chased by officers.

Bil, aged 25, of Minorca Street, Great Lever, was sentenced to two years in prison, but Siwak, aged 20, of Greenland Road, Farnworth, was spared jail and handed a two year sentence, suspended for two years. He will also be subject to an "intensive community order". Both had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of robbery.

Both sobbed throughout the sentencing hearing at Bolton Crown Court yesterday.

In a victim statement made four weeks after the incident which was read out in court, Mr Reynolds said: "Since the incident, I am afraid to go out on my own, I feel vulnerable.

"I keep on thinking to myself, I should have done something. I am not sleeping at night because I have been having nightmares. It has got so bad that I have been having anti depressants."

Addressing the pair, Deputy Circuit Judge Robert Brown said while Mr Reynolds suffered no serious injuries, he is in pain emotionally.

He said: "You approached from behind, and when Mr Reynolds got to a lonely place, which was convenient to you.

"One of you said to him 'give us your money'.

"In Back Cheapside, Mr Reynolds was grabbed from behind and fell to the floor. One of you approached him and again said 'give me the money'.

"You then proceeded to dragged his jacket off, but you missed the cash that he had won but you stole two mobile phones.

"Mr Reynolds made a personal statement in which he makes it clear that this incident has affected him so that now he feels vulnerable and he is not able to go out anymore on his own in the evening."

The court was told that both Bil and Siwak felt "genuinely" remorseful, and that both were under the influence of drugs during the "spontaneous" attack, which was financially motivated.