Alex Higgins’ son Jordan blames wild dad for life of crime
THE robber son of snooker legend Alex “Hurricane” Higgins was jailed yesterday despite trying to blame his wild father for his drug and alcohol problems.
Jordan Higgins, 31, was drunk and high on drugs when he and a masked accomplice snatched cigarettes worth £1,500 from a newsagent’s display shelf.
He grabbed terrified newsagent Steven Gee by the throat before emptying the cigarettes into a duvet cover and jumping into a getaway car.
Higgins, who has a string of convictions, was linked to the robbery in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, last January after his DNA was matched to clothing at the crime scene.
In an effort to avoid jail, he claimed he has struggled to live in the shadow of his father, who died in 2010 aged 61 after a battle with throat cancer.
Alex’s ex-wife Lynn and daughter Lauren wept in the public gallery as Higgins was jailed for 18 months at Manchester Crown Court after admitting robbery.
Judge John Potter told him: “Regrettably this is not the first time you find yourself in the dock.
He was exposed to alcohol and drugs from an early age
"You have targeted somebody simply trying to earn a living.
"You ran away and as you did you discarded your scarf and glove and DNA was recovered.”
The judge acknowledged Higgins’s remorse and added: “I accept you are somebody who has had a difficult upbringing and you have had to live in the glare of publicity with a father that, according to the testimonials, was hardly the proper role model to a son.
“But that is also no excuse to target Mr Gee as you did.
"I view this as so serious only immediate custody is appropriate.”
Higgins was born a year after his father became world snooker champion in 1982.
Estelle Parkhouse, defending, said: “He was exposed to alcohol and drugs from an early age.”
