March 12, 2019 12.50 pm This story is over 68 months old

Young addict attacked woman, 80, on way to church

He was desperate for his next fix of crystal meth
He was jailed for two years and four months.

A young drug addict desperate to pay for his next fix of crystal meth mugged an 80-year-old woman on her way to church.

Norberts Mikitis, 21, attempted to snatch his victim’s handbag as she walked along Church Street, Pinchbeck.

Catherine Picardo, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court: “She was walking on her own along Church Street.

“The assault came out of nowhere. She was at one moment walking along carrying her handbag and a moment later she was on the floor.

“The defendant had tried to pull the handbag from her hand. He failed to get it away and ran from the scene.

“She fell to the floor and a passing motorist came to her aid.”

The woman fell face first onto the ground and suffered severe bruising to her nose and eye.

She had a cut to her forearm and reddening to her hands.

Miss Picardo said: “This has upset her greatly. She simply wanted to go to a bible meeting.

“The defendant ran a long way through fields and was found by a river by police officers.

“He was extremely muddy and gave up the pursuit. He made full admissions at the scene to the officers.

“He said he has been taking crystal meth that morning. He decided he needed money to get more drugs. He approached this lady thinking she would be an easy target.”

Mikitis, of Hannam Boulevard, Spalding, admitted a charge of attempted robbery as a result of the incident on 5 February this year.

He was jailed for two years and four months.

Judge Andrew Easteal, passing sentence, told him: “I accept that you behaved in this way because you were on drugs but that is no excuse.

“You knocked her flying. The harm you did was significant to her. It was an awful thing to do.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, in mitigation, said “He came to this country with his mother eight years ago.

“He went to school in Spalding and then to college in Boston.

“He tells me that at the college he was introduced into drugs. It started with cannabis and developed.

“In recent times he has been addicted to crystal meth. He was addicted and desperate for his next fix.”

Mr Cranmer-Brown said that Mikitis has shown remorse for what he did and made full admissions to police.