A teenage tourist was robbed on the steps of an Oxford University building in what a judge called “about the worst advertisement for this city”.

James Andrews, pictured, snatched a mobile phone from a Taiwanese visitor outside the department of social policy in Wellington Square.

The 15-year-old was waiting to meet her mother, a visiting scholar, when she was mugged by Andrews at about 12.45pm on July 15.

Andrews, of Divinity Road, East Oxford, was jailed for two years at Oxford Crown Court on Monday having earlier admitted one charge of robbery.

Prosecutor Tim Boswell said the 22-year-old was caught after dropping a leaflet with his fingerprints on it as he fled. CCTV cameras also captured his escape.

Mr Boswell said Andrews had sat down behind the victim, with a hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head, before grabbing the phone and yelling at her not to move or break the item.

He said: “You can only imagine what she thought of this country in the aftermath of this incident.”

Stephen Parker, defending, said his client, who has 10 previous convictions including a very similar robbery, had left home at 17.

He said: “He doesn’t have any drink or drug problems but he left home at 17 and has been in and out of work.

“He hopes to turn the corner and make a change in his life.

“He has worked in a pub and a cafe, and as a labourer, and worked at Malmaison for an eight-month period but suffered a motorbike accident and had to give that up.”

Judge Anthony King jailed Andrews for two years and said: “The victim was a young woman who was a visitor to this city. There is absolutely no excuse for what you did.”

He added: “This is about the worst possible advertisement for visitors to this city that this type of thing occurs.”