A 77-year-old woman was attacked and nearly robbed by a masked man as she walked into Bridlington town centre in broad daylight.
But the “gutsy and courageous pensioner” held on to her handbag as her attacker tried to rob her, a court heard. Patryk Truchlinski, 29, of Gypsey Road, Bridlington admitted attempted robbery of the woman on April 27 last year.
Ellen Boyes, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that the incident happened in Prospect Street, Bridlington. A 77-year-old woman’s attention was drawn to a man acting suspiciously in the doorway of a medical centre. He was wearing a balaclava and gloves.
Moments after she walked past, she felt a sudden blow to the back of her head and a tug on her handbag. She instinctively held on forcefully, despite her head injury.
As both the victim and her attacker tugged on the handbag, the contents spilled out. The man – Truchlinski – ran off.
An eyewitness realised what was happening and he saw attacker running away. He gave chase on his bicycle and caught the man and took him back to his victim.
When the witness detained Truchlinski, he took him back to the pensioner, who hit him with the strap of her handbag and asked: “Do you want what I have got?” Truchlinski replied: “I am drinking, I am drinking.”
The woman later said that she had never experienced anything like the attack in her 29 years in the town. “I have always felt safe in the town and never hesitated to go out in the town,” she said.
“During the incident, I was angry because he had the audacity to do this. I was upset. I feel angry about what has happened. This will affect how I feel going into town in the future. I will be a lot more wary and scared and more cautious when I’m out.”
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, said that Truchlinski had suffered health problems and he had been refusing to take his medication. While he had been in custody on remand, he had resumed taking it and he had improved.
“He regrets his actions and did not mean to hurt her,” said Miss Lee. “He wishes to apologise and is glad she did not come to any harm.”
Recorder Geraldine Kelly said the broad daylight attack “must have been terrifying” for the woman. “You hit her from behind and there was nothing she could have done about it,” said Recorder Kelly.
“She did not see you come from behind. You picked on a vulnerable, elderly woman. No doubt you thought she would be an easy target.
“Thankfully, she was not injured from the blow to her head. “You made a good attempt to steal her handbag. Thankfully, you were thwarted. That was only because of the gutsy and courageous resistance of the pensioner, not because you desisted.”
Truchlinski was jailed for 16 months.