Jailed: West Bromwich bag snatcher knew 83-year-old victim

Sally-Anne Nicholls struck on a Sunday evening as the victim walked from Westbourne Road into Margaret Street, West Bromwich, on her way to visit her son, a judge heard.

Nicholls, 41, pushed the elderly person from behind, almost sending her to the ground, and grabbed a blue bag from her left arm, Mr Richard Franck, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court.

He said Nicholls then escaped with the bag that held a purse, £80 cash and the door keys to the victim’s home among other items.

The pensioner was so shocked by the incident on April 22 that she could barely speak when she reached the home of her son who immediately went out to search for the culprit without success.

He said his mother was so unsettled by the robbery that he had to stay with her for two nights until she started to calm down, continued Mr Franck.

Nicholls had pulled her hood up to hide her identity but the robbed woman caught sight of her face and recognised her as being the woman who used to provide her Sunday lunch at a nearby pub when she was a customer there.

She also recalled the first name of the robber, who was traced and arrested by police three days later.

Nicholls admitted knowing the woman but initially denied being responsible for the crime.

She changed her plea to admit the robbery shortly before her trial was due to start after hearing the victim was too ill with pneumonia in hospital to attend the courtroom.

Mr Mukhtar Ubhi, defending, said Nicholls, of Beresford Crescent, West Bromwich, had been a hard working pub manageress until she got involved with a man who introduced her to heroin and cocaine, which “took a hold of her”.

After that her life had spiralled downwards, he said.

Nicholls, who had previous convictions, was jailed by Judge Barry Berlin.

He told her: “You knew the person and knew of her age and vulnerability. You deliberately targeted her and, no doubt, lay in wait for the lady.”