Andrew Ian McKenna (Photo: North Wales Police)
Andrew Ian McKenna has been jailed for 16 months for taking £170 in cash from the elderly woman in Bangor
A heroin addict, desperate for money to buy drugs, stole a purse from an elderly woman with dementia as she walked home after doing some shopping.
Andrew Ian McKenna, of no fixed address but from the Bangor area, rifled through the purse and pocketed £170 in cash before throwing it into the sea.
The 43-year-old told police later he had no money to buy drugs and felt "ashamed and disgusted" by what he had done. He added the money had all been spent and that he had thrown the purse away.
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court was told the purse contained other items including photographs which were of huge sentimental value to the 80-year-old woman. The purse has not been recovered.
'You should be ashamed'
The 43-year-old admitted a charge of theft at an earlier hearing and appeared from custody for sentence.
Jailing him for 16 months Judge Huw Rees said: “She was doing nothing more than going home with her shopping.
“Thankfully she was not physically injured but she was shaken by this experience.
“You have expressed shame and you should be ashamed.”
The judge added he accepted he had pleaded guilty to the offence at the first available opportunity.
But he added: “The sentence is aggravated by your previous convictions, all for dishonesty. You have been a dishonest man for a very long time.”
Prosecutor Claire Jones said the woman suffers from dementia and had been to the shop on the morning of October 16.
He snatched woman's bag
“She was walking home and was on a narrow lane in the Hirael area. The defendant walked up behind her and grabbed the plastic bag she was carrying.
“It contained a loaf and some other items and her purse which had £170 in cash, keys, a bank card and the photographs,” she said.
The police were called and McKenna was stopped later and found to have £160 cash on him.
“But because the description of the thief was given as a man in his 20s McKenna was not arrested at that time.
“It was only after officers studied CCTV footage and saw McKenna loitering in the area that they realised he was responsible and he was arrested,” the barrister added.
McKenna’s barrister Dafydd Roberts told the court: “If the court needed an example of how low a drug addict would stoop to get money this is it.
“The defendant is aware of what he has done and understands he must be punished.
“He also realises he will receive a custodial sentence and it will be one of some length.”
'McKenna is a prolific offender'
Mr Roberts added McKenna had resolved to rid himself of his addiction to heroin while in prison.
After the hearing Detective Constable Sioned Jones of North Wales Police said: “It is important the Criminal Justice System imposes strong sentences on those people in our communities intent on disrupting the lives of the vast majority of law abiding citizens.
“McKenna is a prolific offender and his sentence will I’m sure bring a degree of relief to many in the local community and particularly his latest victim.
“I welcome the sentence and hope it will provide the public with some reassurance and make our communities safer.
“North Wales Police will relentlessly pursue those individuals who cause most harm and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.”
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/despicable-drug-addict-stole-purse-12162517
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