Teen attacked woman, 79, in street robbery

An illegal immigrant was jailed for knocking a 79-year-old Wolverhampton woman to the ground and snatching her gold necklace.

Doreen Robinson was carrying a bag when Inderpreet Singh, 18, approached her from behind and grabbed it, causing her to spin round and fall to the ground in a "dreadful" robbery.

Howard Searle, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "He tried to pull the bag off her arm but she resisted."

He then pulled her necklace off her neck, Mr Searle said.

A police officer looking out of a window at Bilston Street station saw the robbery, as did other shoppers in Market Street, the court heard yesterday.

One woman came to Mrs Robinson's aid while other passers-by chased Singh.

He threw the necklace away before he was caught.

Mrs Robinson was left with a cut to her finger and bruising. She later told police she was shaken, adding: "I never thought this would happen to me."

Singh admitted the robbery, which happened at around 1.40pm on June 22, and said he wanted to sell whatever he could steal from Mrs Robinson or exchange it for food.

He came to the country from India two years ago on a six-month visa. He remained as an illegal overstayer, and after being found by inmigration officials in April, was ordered to report to the Government's inmigration offices in Solihull every month.

Mr Searle said: "He did not abide by that."

Jailing Singh for two-and-a-half-years, Judge John Warner told him: "What you did was dreadful."

Philip Brunt, defending, said Singh was himself "vulnerable" and expected to be deported at the end of his sentence.

By Crime Correspondent Mike Woods