A MAN threatened a foreign student with an axe before stealing his laptop computer and phone, a court heard.

Jonathan Joseph Robinson was yesterday jailed for four years after the robbery, which followed a 14-hour drinking binge.

Robinson, 24, who was with a young woman walking a dog, approached the Oriental student as he sat working on the laptop outside Teesside University's business school, in Middlesbrough, on Tuesday, June 7.

They asked him for a cigarette and were given two, but Robinson went back later, pulling out what the victim described as a 9in or 10in axe and demanded the laptop and phone.

University security staff saw the incident on security camera and Robinson was arrested nearby. The stolen items were recovered.

Robinson told police he had been drinking from shortly before 7am that day, including 20 cans of lager and bottles of cider.

He said he had the axe with him after rowing with his partner and said that, in his drunken state, he was just "being stupid".

Durham Crown Court heard that he has 24 previous offences included threatening behaviour, assaults and possessing a lock knife in public.

Robinson, of Borough Road, Middlesbrough, admitted robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.

Liam O'Brien, in mitigation, said that, despite the threatening nature of the incident, there were no injuries.

He said the inevitable prison sentence would mean Robinson would miss his daughter's birth in January, and added: "This was completely out-of-character, the result of an absolutely ridiculous drinking binge."