ROBBER WRESTLED WOMAN, 63, TO GROUND IN BID TO STEAL £10
I commend this amazing lady for her courage and strength, not only during the robbery but during the investigation too.
A 63-year-old woman was targeted and wrestled to the ground for a £10 note in a shocking daylight robbery. Steven McGuire, 40, of Edmonds Way, Grimsby, was looking for a quick fix for cash just after lunchtime on April 12 this year in Old Market Place, Grimsby when he spotted the woman who was using an ATM. McGuire stood behind the woman, posing as if he was waiting to use the cashpoint behind her, before pouncing. When she got the money - £10 - out of the machine, McGuire wrestled her to the floor.
McGuire straddled the woman, trying his best to grapple with her to get the money out of her hands.
He failed, and as he made his escape from the scene was chased by a young woman and a group of taxi drivers, and he was later arrested by police officers. Prosecuting, Jeremy Evans, told Grimsby Crown Court on Friday that the woman was left with bruising. He said the woman - whose elderly husband has passed away since the incident - has suffered from nightmares and flashbacks but hopes McGuire gets the treatment for his drug addiction that he needs.
Mr Evans told the court: “The woman says she struggles to sleep and has flashbacks and nightmares. She has been to the bank since and was shaking and anxious and had to use the cash point inside. She was really nervous and shaking the whole time.
“She says this has really knocked her confidence. She has enquired after the defendant, she wanted to know about him.”
The court heard McGuire has 24 previous convictions for 69 offences, many of which include offences of dishonesty such as shoplifting.
Detective Constable Chris Clarke
Mitigating, Andrew Bailey, told the court McGuire started taking drugs when he was just 14, due to a childhood trauma.
Mr Bailey said: “This is his first appearance at the Crown Court. “He is a shoplifter. He should be ashamed of himself and he is. There have been long gaps between his offending. He is embarrassed about his fall from grace into his drug taking and is willing to get treatment again. This was an unpleasant and unsophisticated offence.”
Judge Ahmed Nadim sentenced McGuire to three years and two months in prison for attempted robbery and failure to surrender an earlier hearing in relation to the crime.
He said: “Your victim has remained anxious and troubled by what you have done and is suffering from disturbed sleep and nightmares. She remains anxious about visiting the town centre on her own.”
Reacting to the sentencing Detective Constable Chris Clarke of Humberside Police said, “It was an appalling offence committed against a vulnerable lady by a callous man. I commend this amazing lady for her courage and strength, not only during the robbery but during the investigation too.
“I hope this sentence will serve as a warning to others. We want people to feel safe in our town centre and we will take every step to bring offenders such as Steven McGuire to justice.”