An armed mugger shot with his own gun in Mitcham has been jailed.

Jamie Bunter, 20, was injured after the victim turned his gun on him during the mugging last year.

Bunter was arrested after checking in to hospital the next morning with gunshot wounds, and sentenced to an indefinite sentence of at least 12 years for attempted murder at the Old Bailey earlier today.

The bravery of his victim, 30-year-old Nicholas Dwebeng from Mitcham, has been praised by the police.

The court heard that Bunter was one of three armed men who robbed Mr Dwebeng when he was walking with his girlfriend in Chestnut Grove in the early hours of June 14 last year.

After they had threatened, racially abused and taken a mobile phone from him, Mr Dwebeng grabbed a shotgun held by Bunter and hit him over the head with it before dropping it to the ground.

As he grabbed at it again, another attacker shot Mr Dwebeng in the stomach causing major injuries to his bowel and pelvis. The victim, who then heard the muggers discuss using a knife to attack him again, shot at his attackers and forced them to flee.

At 3am that morning Bunter checked in to St Thomas Hospital with gun shot wounds to his leg, and was arrested after failing to explain where they came from.

The court heard how forensic tests had linked gunshot residue on Bunter’s clothing to the scene, and confirmed the mugger had been injured when shotgun pullets from his own gun ricocheted off the ground into his leg.

Bunter, of Ramillies Close in Brixton, was given one indefinite sentence of at least 12 years for attempted murder and another of six years, to run alongside the longer sentence, for robbery and firearms offences.

The two other attackers are still wanted by police.

Sergeant Paul Davis, from the Met’s Trident team, said: "Jamie Bunter attempted to murder this man for the sake of an old mobile phone and had Nicholas Dwebeng not intervened he may well have lost his life.

"This is a highly unusual case and while I would always encourage people to dial 999 and seek police help as soon as possible, I applaud the bravery of this man who sought to protect himself and his girlfriend from further serious attack.”

Anyone with information about the other two attackers should Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.