A ‘pathetic’ man who attempted to rob his victim after pushing him out of his wheelchair before rifling through his pockets has been jailed.

Daniel Murphy had spent the day drinking with his victim before they headed to a secluded area in a churchyard where he left his victim sprawled on the floor.

The 29-year-old threw the man’s shoes away before leaving the area emptyhanded with the man forced to crawl across the floor in a bid to get help, Teesside Crown Court heard.

A judge heard how the incident had left the victim traumatised and shocked at the way he had been treated.

Olivia Randell, prosecuting, said Murphy was caught on CCTV leaving Tubwell Row in Darlington through Church Lane before sitting with the complainant near the memorial in St Cuthbert’s Church yard.

She said: “The victim was on the floor in the churchyard after the defendant pushed him over and he fell out of his wheelchair.

“The victim shouted to get off him and the defendant responded by being abusive and when he didn’t find anything on him, he walked away towards Tubwell Row leaving the victim on the floor.

“He was unable to get back into his wheelchair so had to crawl through the churchyard towards the main road before being found by a member of the public.”

Reading from the victim’s impact statement, Ms Randell said: “The incident left him very angry and in tears. He was left feeling sore after being pushed from his wheelchair.

“The defendant had no right to touch him and only a pathetic person picks on someone with a wheelchair.

“The whole encounter left him feeling embarrassed.”

Daniel MurphyDaniel Murphy (Image: Durham Constabulary)

Murphy, of Gladstone Street, Darlington, pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery on May 29 this year.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said her client had slipped back into drug use after being released from custody just four weeks before the incident.

She said: “He is remorseful for the circumstances that he found himself in on that night.”

Judge Christopher Smith branded the 29-year-old’s behaviour ‘particularly mean’ as he locked him up for four years.

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He said: “You pushed from his wheelchair to the ground and as he lay there, you rifled through his pockets.

“You turned him over, literally, so that you could search the pockets on the other side of his clothing. You found nothing, which is why it is an attempted robbery.

“As you left, leaving your victim helpless and alone on the ground, in a particularly mean act, you took his shoes and threw them away.

“It’s a desperately sad piece of footage to watch your victim unable to get back into his wheelchairs and shuffle along the ground to try to get help.”