John Ward, 41, struck in Bilborough’s Bracebridge Drive shortly after his 78-year-old victim withdrew a substantial sum of money from a cash machine.

Ward got out of a car, nonchalantly went towards him, and yanked his wallet from his hands on the morning of May 31, 2022.

He then drove away from the site in the same automobile.

Officers quickly tracked down the Vauxhall Corsa and arrested its three occupants after receiving a partial number plate description from a member of the public.

Inside was discovered the victim’s wallet.

Distant CCTV footage of the crime also showed the then-unidentified thief dressed in what appeared to be Ward’s attire.

Ward, of Victoria Street in Ironville, originally refused to answer detectives’ questions before pleading guilty to robbery.

He was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.

This was a nasty and cowardly attack on an elderly victim,” said Detective Constable Dionne Love of Nottinghamshire Police.

“That day, Ward spotted an opportunity and pounced on a man he perceived as an easy target.

“Unsurprisingly, this occurrence had a profound impact on the victim, who was already suffering from serious health issues.

“Ward showed absolutely no regard for his victim’s wellbeing and could easily have caused him a major damage.

“I am delighted he has finally been held to account for his conduct and would also like to thank the fast thinking member of the public who memorised information of the automobile number plate.

“Even though these data were not entirely correct, we had enough information to swiftly identify a suspect vehicle and pull it over with Ward and the stolen wallet still inside.

“Thanks to Ward’s quick thinking, he is now serving a well-deserved prison sentence, and we have justice for our victim.”