Heartless Wakefield drug addict stole £500 from lifelong family friend that was raised for her nephew's funeral

Anthony Pearson snatched the handbag from the kitchen table after visiting the woman’s house in Normanton, a person he had known all of his life and whom he considered a family friend.

After asking to borrow £10 from her, then cigarettes, he then pushed the woman out of the way and made off with the bag, running into the street where a car was waiting for him.

The bag contained £500 raised for her nephew’s funeral, £100 in her purse and a mobile phone. None of the items were recovered.

Pearson, aged 35, gave a no-comment interview when police arrested.

The woman, who had recently had heart surgery, needed to go to hospital for a check up.

Leeds Crown Court was told that Pearson has 15 previous convictions for 23 offences. He admitted a charge of robbery on the day he was due to stand trial, prosecutor Louise Pryke said.

Mitigating on his behalf, Vincent Blake-Barnard said that Pearson, of High Street, New Sharlston, had developed an addiction to heroin but had since come off the drugs and was progressing with a methadone prescription.

He said that Pearson had a four-year-old daughter for whom he was now putting “all of his focus into” to get get their relationship on an “even footing”.

He appeared in court visa video link from HMP Leeds, where Judge Simon Phillips KC gave him 40 months’ jail.