A video filmed and posted on social media showing a brutal and degrading attack on a teenager was part of the key evidence which helped convict a violent city centre robber.
Pharrell Renshaw punched the 17-year-old victim in the face before subjecting him to a sustained assault that included kicks targeting his head.
Renshaw, aged 19, demanded property, as well as instructing him to kiss his feet.
The victim, who was begging for the assault to stop, handed over two necklaces, headphones and his wallet.
His injuries included a black eye, a swollen cheek and grazed shoulders.
Footage circulated on social media showing the robbery was used as part of the evidence to prove Renshaw’s involvement in the sickening incident, which took place in Lace Market Square on 14 June 2025.
Renshaw, formerly of Teasel Close, Ruddington, pleaded guilty to the robbery.
Two days earlier, Renshaw and a 17-year-old boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons, carried out another robbery.
The pair targeted a lone vulnerable man who was walking through the city.
The victim fell to the ground, breaking his collarbone, after Renshaw punched him in the face.
Both Renshaw and the 17-year-old were caught on CCTV rifling through the victim’s pockets before leaving the scene.
Following enquiries, both offenders were arrested and charged in connection with this offence and pleaded guilty to robbery.
Renshaw also pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with intent to commit robbery, with the 17-year-old pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, in relation to an incident in Milton Street on 15 June 2025.
This time, the pair punched and kicked an 18-year-old man.
A police officer saw Renshaw searching through the victim’s pockets, but he was quickly detained by officers.
A bag which Renshaw had been carrying was found to contain a machete and a crowbar.
Renshaw also pleaded guilty to five more offences, namely possession of a knife, intentional strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as well as possession of a quantity of cannabis and causing criminal damage to computer equipment at Nottingham Custody Suite.
The 17-year-old also pleaded guilty to a charge of causing criminal damage to a taxi in Milton Street on 15 June.
Renshaw was sentenced to eight years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on 15 April 2026.
The 17-year-old boy was detained for 40 months.
Detective Constable Andre Foster said: “Robbery is a horrendous crime that can cause real long-lasting damage to people’s lives that they carry with them, not just from a physical point of view but from a psychological perspective too.
“Robbery, assault and other acts of violence will never be tolerated by us, so we will always look to put anyone suspected of being involved before the courts and remove dangerous criminals from our streets.”
