A 34 year old Ilkeston man has been jailed after dragging a 91 year old widow to the ground and stealing her handbag in a jitty off Milton Avenue.
Jacob Harper, of St Mary Street, admitted robbery and was sentenced to three years and nine months at Nottingham Crown Court.
The court heard the victim was walking to the Post Office on April 3 when Harper followed her with his hood up, grabbed her handbag from behind, and knocked her to the floor. She suffered an egg sized lump on her head and was left shaken, shocked, and traumatised.
She told police she now struggles to leave the house, even to put the bins out.
Targeted because she was frail
Prosecutors said Harper had been waiting outside his mother’s address on Milton Avenue, where he was “not welcome”, before targeting the elderly woman deliberately because she was frail.
He ran off with the handbag, leaving the victim on the ground. A neighbour took her in and made her a cup of tea after seeing how distressed she was.
Judge Robert Egbuna told Harper:
“She was an elderly and vulnerable 91 year old woman who lived in the area for 40 years and never had any issues before. Imagine the horror your own mother would have felt helping the police with CCTV of her own son.”
Mother’s CCTV helped identify him
Harper’s own mother later provided CCTV of him outside her home moments before the robbery, helping police secure the conviction.
History of similar offences
At the time of the attack, Harper was on licence from prison for a previous bag snatch robbery on an 85 year old woman in 2022, which saw him jailed for two years and 11 months. On that occasion, he rode past on a bike and grabbed the pensioner’s bag from her hands.
The court was told Harper had been using drugs at the time and carried out the offences to fund his habit.
Victim left frightened to go out
In her statement, the victim said the ordeal had completely changed her confidence and independence.
Before the robbery she would go out two or three times a week. Now she rarely leaves home.
