TWO men responsible for a string of city- centre street robberies have been jailed.

Leslie Prince and Lewis Steer were locked up for a total of 44 months at Oxford Crown Court.

Three robberies were committed in Oxford on July 6 and 7 and both men asked for a number of other offences to be taken into consideration.

Prosecutor Jonathan Stone said the spree began at 12.45am on July 6 when Alexander Londono was approached by both men in Bonn Square. After Prince, 23, and Steer, 21, asked him for money for the night they took him to a cashpoint in New Inn Hall Street.

As Mr Londono attempted to withdraw £10, Steer pressed the £30 button and the pair made off with the cash.

At 12.10am the next day student Padraig Staunton came out of the King’s Arms and was approached by Prince and another man named “Murphy” near the Bridge of Sighs, Mr Stone said.

After demanding money, Prince called for a knife from his accomplice as he grabbed the victim’s shirt.

Quoting Mr Staunton’s statement, Mr Stone said: “He was constantly telling me he was a maniac and tapped me on the head with a bottle. He headbutted me on the lip and punched me three times.”

The student was able to escape.

Ninety minutes later, Prince and another man approached James Posner in Gloucester Green and again demanded cash.

After Mr Posner had handed Prince some loose change, the defendant repeatedly said “give me a note or I’ll slit your throat”, the court heard.

The victim was able to run off.

Prince, of Rectory Road, East Oxford, admitted three robberies and asked for another robbery to be taken into consideration.

Steer, of Pinnocks Way, Botley, admitted one robbery and asked for seven burglaries, a theft, assault causing actual bodily harm and a vehicle taking to be taken into consideration, known as a TIC.

Judge Anthony King raised concerns that Steer was allowed to enter the TICs at an earlier hearing in front of Judge Christopher Compston. He said: “The idea behind TICs is it gives somebody the option to make a clean breast of what they have done, but it doesn’t mean they get seven freebie burglaries.

“It does look rather like one of these cases where the police have gone round trying to clear up the books.”

Peter Du Feu, defending Prince, said his client, who has 12 previous offences to his name, had started using heroin and crack cocaine in 2010.

He said: “He feels surprised and remorseful.”

Nick Cotter, defending Steer, who has 33 previous offences, said: “He’s got into a cycle of committing offences because, quite frankly, he wants to be locked up, and that’s of some concern.”

Prince was jailed for 32 months and Steer 12 months after appearing on Monday.