A thug mugged a 13-year-old boy in the street, punching and kicking him, to “educate him and teach him to be on his guard”, a court heard.

Paul King boasted that he made his victim cry and told police after his arrest that it was to “give him a wake-up call and frighten the hell out of him”.

The 38-year-old jobless electrician, of no fixed address, was himself given a wake-up call when a judge jailed him for two-and-a-half years.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the boy was waiting outside a friend’s home in Alma Road, Sheerness, at 9.30pm on October 22 this year when King approached.

The teenager had a Nike bag over his shoulder and King demanded: “Give me your man bag.”

He tugged at it when the boy refused to hand it over. He then threw the victim to the ground and punched and kicked him.

Claire Cooper, prosecuting, said King grabbed the bag - which contained nothing of great financial value - and ran off.

A police officer found the bag discarded nearby. Clothes from it were strewn across the road.

When arrested at his father’s home, he admitted the robbery.

Asked why he did it, he gave the explanation and said he wanted to help kids in the area, and if they wanted to be gangsters they should follow him.

“He said he did it to teach him a lesson,” added Miss Cooper.

Kerry Moore, defending, said King had great difficulties with alcohol, although he insisted he had not been drinking on the day of the robbery.

"The fact remains you selected a 13-year-old boy. You produced a completely unjustifiable attempt at justifying it" - Recorder David Jeremy QC

He had been an electrician for Thames Marine for many years and was in a relationship and had children. But his ”childhood sweetheart” left him and went to America.

King was homeless and living in a derelict building. He behaved erratically when arrested.

“He believes this was a cry for help,” said Mr Moore. “He needed help with his health and situation.”

Recorder David Jeremy QC told King: “You have been described as acting erratically on that day. I certainly agree there was something irrational to your behaviour and it was out of character.

“But the fact remains you selected a 13-year-old boy. You produced a completely unjustifiable attempt at justifying it.”