Woman, 82, was robbed of her stick
A Scarborough woman robbed a pensioner of her walking stick and then tried to wrestle a crutch from an elderly man just minutes later, a court heard.
Danielle Norman, aka Gerada, pounced on the 82-yearold woman as she walked through the town centre and snatched her walking stick with such force that the victim lost her balance and nearly fell over, prosecutor Joseph Hudson told York Crown Court.
The victim, who suffers from osteoarthritis and has a “cognitive condition”, was shopping in town with her son, when Norman, 39, targeted her on September 17 last year.
“Norman grabbed hold of the walking stick and started pulling it and wrestling it away from (the named victim)”, said Mr Hudson.
The victim tried to resist but was in pain and let go of the walking stick, nearly falling over as she did so.
“(Norman) ran off with the stick, laughing and shouting, ‘I’ve got your stick’,” said Mr Hudson.
The victim tried in vain to get it back, but Norman disap
peared out of view.
“Following this, (Norman) went round the corner and tried to rip a walking stick from an elderly man (but was) unsuccessful,” added Mr Hudson.
Norman, of West Street, admitted robbery and attempted robbery.
A charge of battery was ultimately dropped by the prosecution.
In a statement, the elderly woman said the incident had affected her both physically and mentally.
Norman had seven previous convictions for 14 offences including violence, criminal damage and assaulting police officers, all “linked
to her mental state”.
Defence barrister Victoria Smithswain said a psychiatric report “clearly” showed that Norman had mental health problems.
She had spent six months on prison remand following her arrest but was then transferred to a secure unit under the Mental Health Act.
Judge Sean Morris noted that Norman had been “doing well” at Scarborough’s Ellis Centre and that her mental health had stabilised.
Norman was given a threeyear community order with a 25-day rehabilitation programme.
She was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.