Gavin Woodcock decided to attack the 77-year-old after spotting her walking alone down an alleyway in Newark.

At that point the prolific thief sprang into action and shoved his victim to the floor – grabbing her handbag as she fell.

He then fled from the scene, leaving the pensioner on the ground with a wrist fractured in two places and a cut to her head.

She was also left without a purse, house key, phone and bank cards, which were in the bag Woodcock snatched at around 9pm on 13 August 2023.

After rifling through his victim’s purse, the 39-year-old went into a shop and used the stolen card to buy cigarettes and alcohol for himself.

This was by no means Woodcock’s first theft however, with the prolific offender swiping bottles of spirits from the shelves of two Newark stores on 22 July 2023.

The thief’s notoriety in the town ensured he was caught two days after the robbery on 15 August.

That’s when officers from the Newark neighbourhood policing team spotted Woodcock in the town centre and brought him into custody.

He would go on to be charged with robbery, two counts of theft, fraud by false representation, and failing to comply with notification requirements for an existing order.

Having pleaded guilty to the offences, Woodcock, of no fixed address, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (14 December).

He was jailed for four years and eight months.