Woman feared for life as robbers smothered her

ACOUPLE have been jailed after a pensioner was tricked into opening her front door and then subjected to a terrifying attack.

During her ordeal the 65-year-old victim believed she was going to be asphyxiated when plastic sheeting was put over her face.

The attack only came to an end after her screams drew the attention of neighbours in Selly Oak.

Joshua Grant, 27, of Halliwell Road, Ladywood, was jailed for five years and three months after previously admitting robbery. Olga Davidova, 20, of the same address was sentenced to four years after being found guilty of the same charge following a trial.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that both defendants believed the victim, who suffered from arthritis and lived alone, kept a substantial amount of money at her property.

Davidova, wearing a high visibility jacket, knocked at her door on September 9 last year.

The victim thought she was a delivery person and partially opened her door, at which point Davidova forced her way into the hallway.

The pensioner began screaming but was overpowered by the defendant who forced her to the floor and told her to be quiet.

However, she refused and so Davidova punched her repeatedly to the side of the face and then also took some discarded plastic sheeting and put it over her face causing her to fear she would be strangulated or asphyxiated. Grant then came into the property and searched upstairs.

However, the only item of worth he could find was a mobile phone.

The victim continued to struggle and her sounds of distress attracted the attention of neighbours outside.

The defendants then tried to claim the woman had suffered a heart attack and even asking for a glass of water.

Their story was not believed and Davidova was detained at the scene although Grant, who had a number of previous convictions for robbery, managed to get away but was arrested later.

Judge Kristin Montgomery said the victim had been “totally shocked by the physicality of the attack” and that she had suffered bruising and pain all over her body.

Devon Small, for Davidova, said she had worked as a prostitute to feed an addiction to drugs and although a defence of duress had been rejected by a jury there had been an element of coercion and intimidation.