January 7, 2019 3.49 pm This story is over 62 months old

Dad who robbed women for drugs money jailed

His drug use took hold of him
Philip Chapman has been jailed for 30 months. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A father of three carried out a street robbery in a desperate bid to get cash for drugs, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Philip Chapman struck as his victim was walking along Outer Circle Drive in Lincoln after she was dropped off by a friend last month.

Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said that Chapman walked past the woman but then turned and went back towards her.

“She thought he looked a bit dodgy. Then she heard some footsteps behind her.

“It was this defendant. He went passed her and crouched down at the side of her.

“She was in shock. He tried to pull her bag out of her hand. He managed to yank it out of her grasp and ran across the road with it. She was shaken up by what happened to her.”

Miss Leonard said that two days later Chapman attacked a 79-year-old woman in the car park of the Tesco store on Wragby Road.

Chapman cycled in front of the woman moments after she and her husband had loaded their shopping into their car.

Miss Leonard said: “She decided to take her trolley back. She had only gone a couple of steps from the car when the defendant cycled behind her. He grabbed her handbag and pulled it. There was a struggle and he fell off his bike. He ran off leaving the bike behind.”

Chapman, 26, of Coleridge Gardens, Lincoln, admitted robbery on December 2 and attempted robbery on December 4. He also admitted eight charges of shoplifting and a further charge of attempting to steal a mobile phone from a Tesco during an incident at the Wragby Road store in November.

He was jailed for 30 months.

Chris Jeyes, in mitigation, told the court: “What was at the root of this is that he was introduced to crack cocaine in the early part of 2018. He thought he would be able to control his use of that but then it took hold of him.

“He found he could not control his urge for that substance with the result that he started stealing things. He then turned to taking items from people rather than stores.”

He said that Chapman’s health has improved as a result of being remanded in custody after his arrest as he is now clean of drugs.

Mr Jeyes said: “He is very sorry for what he did. He knows he should not have done it.”