A violent criminal from Birmingham has been handed a life sentence after he chillingly described himself as a 'risk to the public' following a brutal street robbery and a separate burglary.
A Terrifying Attack on an Elderly Man
Craig Holden, aged 43, of Reddings Lane in Hall Green, launched a vicious attack on a 72-year-old man in broad daylight. The incident occurred around midday on June 20 last year on Russell Road in Edgbaston.
CCTV footage showed Holden targeting the victim from behind, grabbing his shoulder bag and pulling with such force that both men fell to the ground. After they stood up, Holden pushed the elderly man into a garden wall.
The attack escalated horrifically when Holden, having walked away briefly, turned back, pulled a knife from his waistband and lunged at the victim three times. Recorder John Steel, summarising in court, stated the third lunge was aimed at the man's abdomen, but the victim fortuitously jumped aside and used his bag as a shield.
Holden then slashed the victim's right arm before fleeing with the bag, which contained a bank card, house keys, an iPhone and £60 in cash. The victim, who was recently widowed and simply taking a walk in his lifelong neighbourhood, was left 'terrified' and plans to leave Birmingham permanently.
A Spree of Crime and Chilling Confessions
The following day, on June 21, Holden used a shovel to smash his way into the Birmingham Smile Clinic on Stratford Road. He stole a laptop worth £259 and £35 in cash, leaving staff feeling unsafe after he was seen loitering outside the clinic days later.
When arrested, Holden made a series of shocking admissions to police. Prosecutor Ilana Davis told Birmingham Crown Court that Holden said he had followed his robbery victim with the intention to 'rape and murder' him, only stealing the bag when he failed to inflict more serious harm.
He explained the burglary by saying he was struggling with his methadone prescription. Most damningly, he stated he wanted to return to prison and openly described himself as a danger to the public.
Life Sentence for a 'Dangerous Offender'
At Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, January 12, Holden, who had pleaded guilty to robbery, wounding with intent, possession of a bladed article and burglary, was formally classed as a 'dangerous offender'.
He has 17 previous convictions for 30 offences, including a four-year sentence in 2021 for attempted robbery. In mitigation, defence counsel Nicholas Berry said Holden had significant mental health issues linked to drug misuse, exacerbated by family bereavement and a serious accident at work.
Despite these difficulties, the court imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 80 months minus 75 days spent on remand – approximately six and a half years – before he can be considered for parole.
