Robber steals elderly woman’s purse containing £200 from under police officer’s nose after battering her to the ground and pretending to be Good Samaritan
- Jay Makwana, 40, knocked an 81-year-old victim over after she left a bank
- He went on to steal her purse containing around £200 in front of police officers
- Makwana was jailed for six years at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday
A robber has been jailed for six years after he was caught stealing an elderly woman’s purse – which had £200 inside.
Jay Makwana, 40, played the good samaritan and waited with his 81-year-old victim after he pushed her as she left a bank in Market Place, Bexleyheath, south east London.
The elderly woman hit her head on the floor and lay defenceless as Makwana slipped her purse into a plastic bag while speaking to police officers about her fall.
Footage from an officer’s body-worn camera captured the moment Makwana slyly snatched the woman’s purse from a newspaper she had hidden it inside.
Jay Makwana (pictured), 40, played the good samaritan and waited with his 81-year-old victim after he pushed her as she left a bank in Market Place, Bexleyheath, south east London
Footage from an officer’s body-worn camera captured the moment Makwana slyly snatched the woman’s purse from a newspaper she had hidden it inside
CCTV pictured the woman leaving a nearby bank just after 10.30am last November 9 when she was approached by Makwana.
The robbery left the woman with facial injuries and she was taken by paramedics to hospital where her condition was assessed as not life-threatening.
At Woolwich Crown Court Makwana pleaded guilty to robbery before being jailed for six years on Wednesday.
The elderly woman hit her head on the floor and lay defenceless as Makwana slipped her purse into a plastic bag while speaking to police officers about her fall
The defendant, from Erith, south east London, was also ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.
Sergeant Matt Taylor, of the Met Police’s Burglary Robbery Investigation Team, branded it a ‘truly shocking assault’ on a woman targeted just because of her age.
He said: ‘This was a truly shocking assault on a woman who was deliberately targeted because of her age and vulnerability.
‘It has had a huge impact on the victim’s life and left her scared to leave home alone. I hope the fact that Makwana received a significant custodial sentence will bring her some closure as she continues to come to terms with this terrible ordeal.’