An 'angry' balaclava-wearing man robbed his ex-partner of her handbag and phone when he rode up to her on the street and grabbed the items off her.

Conner Tyler fled the scene on his bike but was arrested shortly after and was still in possession of some of the goods as well as a Kinder Egg filled with cocaine.

The 24-year-old claimed that his ex-partner has given him the mobile phone and that the Class A drug was for her.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Tyler confronted the woman as she walked along Oxbridge Lane, Stockton, with a friend and demanded to know where she was going.

Tyler took off his balaclava before becoming abusive and aggressive.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said: “The defendant said to her ‘where the f*** are you going, you little s***?’ and then said to her ‘you’re not going anywhere’.”

The court heard how Tyler then grabbed the woman’s back and knocked her to the floor as she struggled to keep hold of it.

Mr Dryden said the defendant was arrested at Chandlers Wharf in Stockton and he was still in possession of the mobile phone and the victim’s bank cards.

Police carried out a search of Tyler and found the cocaine stashed inside the Kinder Egg which he maintained was for his ex-partner.

The court heard how Tyler had a previous offence on his record for a knifepoint robbery.

Tyler, of Sun Street, Stockton, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a Class A drug following the events of September 22 this year.

John Nixon, mitigating, said his client could appear to be truculent but accepts that he is facing a lengthy custodial sentence.

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Recorder Thomas Moran locked the repeat offender up for three years and three months for both offences.

“You made a determined effort to steal her handbag – it was a very cowardly thing to do but in contract she was very brave trying to hold on to her property.

“When you were arrested you had the cheek to say that the drugs were for her,” he said.

“You committed this offence because you were angry about the break up of your relationship.”