Llanelli drug addict leaves elderly woman with "stomach churning" injuries after robbery
A DRUG addict who snatched the handbags of two elderly women, leaving one with "stomach churning" injuries, has been jailed for four years.
Michael Thomas, 24, left 90-year-old Annie Morgan with a head injury, a broken shoulder and an injured arm after he wrested her handbag from her.
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Michael Andrew Thomas
He told police that on a scale from one to ten, the level of force he had used to get the bag from Mrs Morgan was a seven.
Judge Paul Thomas said his "stomach churned" when he saw Mrs Morgan's injuries, which meant she was now living in a nursing home.
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It is not yet known if she will be able to return to live in her own house.
Thomas's second victim, Marie Davies, who the court was told was in her early 70s, escaped injury but had been left too terrified to leave the house or answer the door, Swansea Crown Court heard.
Both offences took place in Llanelli town centre on January 11.
Thomas told the court he had been using heroin since he was nine. He said he had stolen the bags to buy drugs.
Prosecutor John Lloyd said Mrs Morgan felt she had lost her independence, was "extremely upset and tearful" and was still in "extensive" pain.
"She used to play organ in church and that was one of her few enjoyments in life, but now she doesn't feel she would be able to continue with that," added Mr Lloyd.
Huw Rees, representing Thomas, said his client accepted they were "despicable" offences, but said he had lost a number of close family members in a "short period".
"This sentence will allow him to come to terms with his grief and hopefully his heroin addiction," added Mr Rees.
He said Thomas had admitted the offences at the first opportunity and had showed police where he had dumped the bags.
Sentencing him, the judge said Thomas had "struggled" with Mrs Morgan to get her bag.
"That must have made you feel like a hero. As someone who says he was very fond of a grandparent, you can imagine how that lady's family feel about what you did," said Judge Thomas.
Thomas, of Clos Sant Paul, Llanelli, admitted theft and robbery.
8 Comments
by Philcwmavon
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 1:15AM
“To all those bigots/racists who spit their bile on this medium,check out the name.Certain customs would ensure that this wortlhless would not transgress again,EVER.”
by Hedoken97842
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 6:12PM
“I knew an old lady whose handbag was torn from her hands, she fell to the floor and ever since then was scared to go out, she died about 3 months later, not from the injuries, but just cos it had such a bad impact on her. Her injuries were nothing like this old ladies.
When you are that age I would imagine something like this would utterly destroy any will to live and i cant think of anything more important to someone at that age.
But the problem with this GVT is it allows anyone to breed, who then do and slowly the population becomes filled with problem families who are paid to be second rate citizens.”
by Hedoken97842
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 2:06PM
“And just think what someone in the community is going to do with him when he gets out of jail.”
by jeffrey3
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 2:05PM
“no hes given those ladys a life sentence one cant go out the other stuck in a nursing home for the rest of her life while he,s sorry dont think he is as wouldnt have done it in the first place life would have better when are those in power realise this perhaps we might get justice for those they abuse jeff3”
by siarad2
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 1:19PM
“And people want to legalise drug taking, just think how this sort of thing would escalate once everyone could take them.”
by jackswan2012
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 12:42PM
“scum of the earth and about time laws were changed to give 20 years”
by slagheap
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 11:06AM
“Bennyhill 4 4 Years just about right sorry I would have given him as much as was legally possible,he is the scum of the Earth.”
by bennyhill4
Tuesday, January 29 2013, 10:06AM
“4 years is about right,but only if he does the full time and not be let out after about 18 months, which seems to be the norm”