June 3, 2020 3.01 pm This story is over 45 months old

Lincoln woman jailed for mugging pensioner

All for just £10
Jodie Bailey has been sentenced. Photo: Lincolnshire Police

A woman who mugged a 77-year-old pensioner outside a Lincoln post office has been jailed for 20 months.

Jodie Bailey, 33, carried out the attack on the elderly woman at the Nettleham Fields shopping centre in the city, pulling her victim to the ground.

Bailey then grabbed the purse from the victim’s hand and ran off.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, told the court: “Other people gave assistance to the lady. A local police officer saw the defendant in the area and put her name forward as a suspect when the robbery was reported to her.”

As a result Bailey was arrested shortly afterwards in the area of Redbourn Drive on the Ermine East estate.

She had already discarded the purse but had a £10 note on her that she had taken from it. The purse was later found on Nettleham Road by a passerby and handed in to police.

Bailey denied any responsibility during initial police interviews but later accepted she had carried out the mugging, telling officers she was ashamed and disgusted by what she had done.

The court was told that Bailey had 42 previous convictions for a total of 79 offences.

Jodie Bailey, of Scopwick Place, Ermine East, Lincoln, admitted a charge of robbery as a result of the incident on March 16 this year. She was jailed for 20 months.

She also admitted breach of a two year conditional discharge imposed by Lincoln Magistrates Court in January 2019 for offences of theft, possession of amphetamine and making false representation. She was given a 14 day concurrent jail sentence for the breach.

Judge John Pini QC told her: “What happened was shocking. You clearly targeted her and saw her as easy pickings.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, in mitigation, said “She has a bad record. It is all linked to the drug problem she has had for many years.

“This took place at a time coming up to the anniversary of the very sad incident when her 14-year-old son died. He was her only child. She began to struggle around the time of the anniversary and began to stray back on to drugs.

“She is profoundly remorseful. She desperately wants to change her ways.”