JAILED: Thief ripped gold jewellery out of 83-year-old woman's ears
A robber who targeted pensioners wearing gold jewellery – violently pulling the earrings from one elderly victim – has been jailed for more than six years.
Lukeny Pedro, from Smethwick, snatched a gold chain from round the neck of a 73-year-old Asian man on a bus.
Five weeks later grabbed an 83-year-old woman from behind in a shop and pulled her gold earrings from her ears, a court heard.
But the 24-year-old defendant was caught by security staff, and pleaded guilty in court to two charges of robbery and one of fraud.
Pedro's first victim was standing by the driver on a bus at Pool Meadow bus station in Coventry on April 17 when he felt someone brush past him, said Mr Ian Speed, prosecuting.
The pensioner, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, then felt his gold chain and pendant worth £1,100 being pulled from round his neck by Pedro who ran from the bus with it.
Later that day the police were contacted by staff at H&T Pawnbrokers to say that a man had just sold them a chain with a distinctive pendant, Warwick Crown Court heard.
On May 27 an 83-year-old Asian woman was shopping in the Iceland store in Coventry city centre when she was grabbed by Pedro, causing her to fall, who then pulled her gold earrings from her ears.
But he was caught and detained by security staff, and following his arrest officers recognised him from the CCTV at the pawnbrokers as the person who had sold the chain.
Both victims said their ordeals had left them feeling shocked and frightened, and the woman added: “I have been in England for 50 years and nothing like this has ever happened before.”
The court heard that Pedro had previous convictions for offences including robbery, and at the time he was on licence from a four-month sentence imposed in October last year for burglary.
Evan Cranfield, defending, said Pedro had wanted to turn his life around after being released from his last prison sentence but had no friends or family nearby for support, and was also going through relationship problems, leading him to start using drugs again.
Judge Cooke told him: “You have expressed the wish that this represents the low point to which you will sink in your career as an offender – but it’s a well-established career.
“Your offending is aggravated by your targeting of elderly victims.”
Pedro, of Sydenham Road, was jailed for six years and eight months.
