Violent robber locked up after video posted on social media showing brutal attack forms part of key evidence

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 to 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. He managed to escape after a member of the public intervened. 

His injuries included a black eye, 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 centre after a night out socialising. 

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 as they then rifled through the victim’s pockets before leaving the scene. 

His mobile phone was stolen along with the contents of his wallet. 

Following inquiries, 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 before he ran off, however he was quickly detained by officers. 

A bag which Renshaw had been carrying dropped to the floor. It was found to contain a machete and a crowbar. 

Renshaw also pleaded guilty to five more offences - namely possession of a knife in Nottingham city centre on 7 June; intentional strangulation and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after attacking a man in Waverley Street, on 19 June; possession of a quantity of cannabis in Nottingham on 27 June; and causing criminal damage to computer equipment at Nottingham Custody Suite on 27 June. 

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, of Nottinghamshire Police, 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 also a psychological perspective too. 

“Robbery, assault, and other acts of violence will never be tolerated by this police force, so we will always look to put anyone suspected of being involved before the courts. 

“These are some of the most serious crimes we deal with as a force, which is why it’s so important that they’re met with a proportionately robust and thorough police response.

"I want to reassure people that we are determined to do everything in our power to bring violent offenders like these to justice and remove dangerous criminals from our streets.”