A robber jumped on his victim from behind and tackled him to the floor before reaching into his back pocked and stealing his wallet. He then went on to use bank cards to buy food.
Marc Poretta, 46, attacked Timothy Inight in Newport city centre on August 28 in a random street robbery. He then ran away leaving the victim, who was left with "mental scars", on the floor.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Mr Inight had been out drinking with friends and made his way to a taxi rank in Carpenters Arms Lane at 1.5am. Poretta followed him into the lane and jumped on his back from behind.
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He tackled Mr Inight to the floor before reaching into his back trouser pocket and stole his wallet before running off. The victim managed to phone his family for help but suffered muscle pain and a wound on his head reopened.
Transactions worth £40 were made on a card belonging to Mr Inight's wife Rhiannon Inight which was in his wallet. Payments had been made for food from a supermarket.
A patch of blood was found on the trouser pocket which when analysed was found to match a DNA profile belonging to the defendant. He was arrested and denied the robbery, claiming he had found the wallet on the floor.
Poretta, of Somerton Park, in Newport, was found guilty of robbery and fraud by false representation following a trial. The court heard he also had a previous conviction for robbery from 2013.
In a victim personal statement read out at the hearing Mr Inight said: "I feel the assault and theft has affected me physically and mentally and I have suffered mental scars which will take time to heal. I was a trusting person and tried to see the best in people but when I am out in society I find myself looking over my shoulder and I'm anxious when someone is behind me. I get the sense I am being followed and I'm trying to put myself in situations when I am alone in public, especially at night."
In mitigation William Bebb said his client did not use a weapon and caused no injury other than reopening an existing wound while the items were not of great monetary value and he described the offence as "unsophisticated and desperate". He said the father-of-one turned back to crime after losing the stability of his relationship and turned to alcohol but remained the primary carer for his mother.
Judge Hywel James said: "At trial you admitted taken the wallet but didn't use any force. [The jury] convicted you of robbery and I am satisfied you used force." He sentenced Poretta to four years imprisonment.
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