Heartless robber David Swain admitted "it could have been my own gran" after he left a disabled pensioner with her mobility scooter on top of her after snatching her handbag. Class A drug addict Swain told Nottingham Crown Court he was "truly sorry" for the despicable mugging of the 72-year-old woman as she had taken her usual weekly trip to Tesco, in Swiney Way, Toton, at around 12.30pm on Thursday, August 11.
Listening to the details of his shocking crime over a video link from HMP Lincoln, the court heard how he grabbed her bag and pushed her right shoulder, leaving her to fall to the pavement with her heavy scooter on top of her. Swain, of Eskdale Drive, Beeston, then rode off on his bike with her bag, which had £15 inside, a mobile phone, house keys and a blood card for medication.
Due to her limited mobility, she was unable to get up off the ground and was in pain. But kind-hearted members of the public came to her aid and got her off the road and to safety.
READ MORE: Nottingham Crown Court to close on day of The Queen's State Funeral
She described feeling scared and in shock, and went to hospital for a check-up due to the medication she takes. She suffered a cut to her left forearm, bruising to her leg, arm and face.
Twenty minutes after the robbery, Swain was busy buying two drinks at a shop and using her card twice at Morrisions in Toton Lane. He was arrested but denied the robbery and claimed someone had given him her card.
But at court on Tuesday (September 13) he pleaded guilty to robbing her of her handbag and contents. He previously admitted three charges of fraud by fraud representation at the magistrates' court.
The woman's victim impact statement revealed the shocking incident had knocked her confidence to be by herself and seriously affected how she feels about going out alone. She regularly goes to Aldi on a Monday and Tesco on a Thursday, but the crime influenced how she now goes about her daily routine.
She is scared to go into a shop on her own and is worried about what will happen. "I received minor injuries," said Anthony Cheung, prosecuting, as he read her statement in court. "I had to ring an ambulance afterwards due to the medication I was on. The pain I felt during the incident was worrying, as I was pushed and my mobility scooter landed on me".
Mr Cheung told Judge Stuart Rafferty QC that the offence was motivated by her disability, she is elderly, and the defendant chose her specifically as he knew there would not be any resistance. Swain has 11 convictions for 20 offences, he added, but none for robbery.
Judge Rafferty said Swain is a drug addict, and "he sees the first available target to get money for drugs". Swain told him: "That is true, your honour".
Chris Brewin, who represented him, said the crime was not motivated or based on hostility or anything of that nature. Swain is a "relatively young man", he stressed, with "a lot of acquisitive offending on his record" and is dealing with an addiction.
He said Swain's "concern" at the moment is not so much for himself - he knows he will be in custody for some time - but his partner has Lymphoma and he blames himself as he knows he will be absent when she is treated. Judge Rafferty jailed Swain for three years on the robbery, for which he will serve half and the remainder on release, and made no separate penalty on the frauds.
Swain told him: "I am truly sorry, It could have been my own gran". The judge responded: "Of course, you would have been at the front of the queue waiting to batter whoever had done it".
"You don't need me to tell you how absolutely despicable this was"
Swain insisted he wanted to get help, and thanked the judge for his leniency and added, "I am very sorry". The judge had told him: "David Swain, you don't need me to tell you how absolutely despicable this was".
Swain insisted, "yes, I do, your honour". The judge added that what happened to the victim was life-changing and she was doing no more than going about her lawful business.
"She had routine, which was an important part of her life and an important part of the routine, of course, was going to the shop and exposing herself to the general public, defenceless in her chair.
"You saw her, you, no doubt, desperate for money for drugs, decided to take a calculated risk. The risk being because she was old, you would be able to snatch the bag away and make off with her bag.
"But that didn't work. Whether she was pushed in the road by you or left in the road with her mobility scooter on her, fortunately for you there was no traffic coming from behind, otherwise you would be facing a more serious charge, but I don't suppose you thought anything about that at the time".
After the incident, Detective Inspector Simon Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, had said: “We are appalled by this cowardly theft committed against an elderly lady who appears to have been viewed as an easy target".
READ NEXT:
Christian chaplain refused to join in chant to ‘smash heteronormativity’ during a training session
Man who held knife while swigging a beer in Nottingham city centre finds himself in court
Man allegedly 'manipulated' little girl for his own 'personal gratification'
Released cop killer David Parfitt threatened to 'hunt' down officer and 'make him pay'
