A THUG who has racked up 103 crimes throttled a 13-year-old boy with a lanyard and headbutted a street ranger who tried to step in.

Daniel Williams, 28, has been jailed for a year for robbing the boy of the lanyard he wore around his neck while in Southend High Street.

The teen had gone to the Burger King restaurant on August 5 and was outside when he noticed Williams glaring at him.

Williams, from Southchurch Avenue, Southend, then approached the boy, yelling at him, asking if he was part of a business group.

When the boy replied he wasn’t, Williams grabbed the lanyard and twisted it, leaving the teen fighting for breath.

Williams continued to swear at him, saying he had “no right” to wear a lanyard because he wasn’t disabled, and managed to take it away from him.

The boy was left “extremely upset” by the attack and approached a street ranger for help.

The ranger approached Williams, asking for the lanyard back.

When he refused, the ranger tried to physically take it from him.

In response Williams headbutted the ranger to the lip.

Police back up was called and while Williams tried to run, he ended up falling over and was arrested.

He went on to admit robbery and assaulting an emergency worker and was jailed at Basildon Crown Court on Friday.

Mitigating, Ian Clift said that Williams has had a “troubled life”.

He said: “He’s struggled with underlying physical and mental difficulties in his life. He had an early diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

“His problems have been exacerbated because he turned to alcohol on far too many occasions.”

Recorder David Osborne told Williams: “You pulled it [the lanyard] tight around his neck and he struggled to breathe.

“He was just 13 at the time and suffers from anxiety and ADHD.

“But to his great credit, he is managing with it.

“It’s aggravated by him being just 13 at the time. You have 46 convictions for 103 offences.”

Speaking to the court, Williams said: “I accept the charge is a serious charge. The age of the young fella I did not know.

“I realise where I was going wrong in my life, but I realise there is consequences for what I have done.”