Robber is jailed for six years over Stourbridge raid
A prolific Black Country thief has been locked up for six years after being trapped by a pair of leather gloves he dropped during a robbery attempt.
Paul Simcox dropped them while momentarily losing control of his motorcycle during a failed bid to snatch the handbag of a 65-year-old shopper as he rode past her in the street. Jean Pritchard was cut and bruised when she was dragged to the ground by the rider in Bowling Green Road, Stourbridge, on May 29, but managed to hang on to the bag.
Simcox had to stop before accelerating out of sight as the victim went to hospital for treatment.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that less than three weeks later, a 79-year-old had her bag snatched in a similar attack in a car park in Wollaston, said Miss Helena Miller, prosecuting.
Forensic scientists found the DNA of 34-year-old convicted criminal Simcox on gloves dropped at the scene of the failed robbery and he was arrested on June 25.
On the driveway of his home in High Street, Amblecote, was a Jaguar car stolen less than a month earlier and an AJS motorcycle taken from a Stourbridge industrial estate on May 14. Both had false plates.
CCTV film of the Wollaston bag snatch revealed the culprit rode an AJS bike.
A jacket matching one worn by the rider was found at Simcox's home, said Miss Miller, along with property stolen in burglaries on two Wednesbury properties that month. Mr Jasvir Mann, defending, said Simcox stole to fund his drug addiction.
Simcox admitted assault with intent to rob, robbery, handling stolen goods and two burglaries. He asked for five further burglaries to be taken into consideration.
Judge Michael Challinor jailed him for six years.
