Ex-serviceman targeted 78-year-old pedestrian in Ferryhill

Former serviceman Glen Wayman approached the 78-year-old woman in Church Lane Ferryhill, shortly after 11am, on Sunday, July 30.

Durham Crown Court heard the elderly pedestrian moved to one side to let him pass, but he grabbed her bag, causing her to fall to the ground.

Worried about falling on her frail knees, she tried to land on her hands and her face hit a wall.

Read more: Man charged with alleged robbery of woman in Ferryhill

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said paramedics attending a nearby public event came to her aid.

The victim’s purse, containing £200, her bus pass and other possessions, including photographs of her father and husband.

Wayman ran from the scene to the direction of the rear of nearby Kensington Gardens.

He was arrested the following day and made no comment to all questions other than to tell police where they would find the victim’s purse.

The target of his crime said she was left shaken at the ordeal and since the incident, she panics when people walk nearby while she is out on the street.

Mr Gittins said she has even begun to wear a mask when out in public, so people don’t talk about her.

The 47-year-old defendant, of Kelvin Street, Ferryhill, indicated a guilty plea to robbery at his first appearance before magistrates in the days after the incident.

Due to the seriousness of the case, the magistrates sent it to be sentenced at the crown court.

Read more: Ferryhill man forcibly took phone from boy, 12, on street in Shildon

Laura Jayne Miller, in mitigation, said the defendant is relatively lightly convicted with his only recent offence being a shop theft in May this year, and nothing at all for violence on his record.

She said the incident was, “properly out of character” for a man who has been hard-working throughout his life, having served in the armed forces.

Miss Miller said he was forced to leave due to a leg injury suffered in training.

She said he has since worked as a carpet fitter and joiner, but due to his injury, he could not continue to work in that line of employment.

He subsequently worked as a quality inspector in a factory, but that employment ended several months ago, he has since developed a heroin addiction to bolster the effect of prescribed medication for his injuries.

Miss Miller said: “He’s apologetic and wholly embarrassed by his actions.

“He asks me to convey to your honour his remorse and he wants to say ‘sorry’ to the victim and he won’t be back before the court again.”

She said he hopes to undergo a drug course while serving his sentence in prison.

Jailing him, Judge James Adkin told Wayman: “You are to be sentenced for a street robbery in Ferryhill when your victim had the misfortune to run into you.

“Addicted to class A drugs, you grabbed her handbag and, worried about falling on her knees, she hit a wall.

Read next:

• Ferryhill fifth-strike burglar admits six break-ins, in six-day spree
• Ferryhill couple taken to hospital after burglary
• Judge cuts Ferryhill burglar's jail term by 12 months

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“She was obviously shocked and shaken and it led to her being worried to go out for a while.”

Judge Adkin said an aggravating feature was the targeting of, “a particularly vulnerable victim.”

He told Wayman that if he had challenged the allegation by going to a trial the sentence would have been one of four-and-a-half years.