An unemployed Pole has been jailed for four months for robbing a traumatised pensioner from the saddle of his bike.
Konrad Swiatek snatched the 67-year-old’s handbag as he cycled past her in Perth’s North Port on the evening of March 26.
However, the 25-year-old’s attempt to steal from her was foiled almost immediately after he came face-to-face with a crowd of people attending an event at the nearby Perth Concert Hall.
Alerted by his victim’s screams for help, the members of the public tackled the accused who has a history of violence and knocked him from his bicycle, before stripping him of the handbag.
He made off on foot, abandoning his bike, but was detained a short distance away his efforts to escape ended by passing police officers.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson told Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday that Swiatek’s victim had been walking to a restaurant where she was to meet friends at around 7.20pm.
“As she neared the restaurant the accused came up behind her on his bicycle and took hold of the strap of her handbag with sufficient force to cause her to stumble,” he said. “The strap broke and the accused took possession of it, before taking off on his bike.
“His victim was by this point screaming loudly and the street was quite busy. Passers-by got in the way of the accused and knocked him from his bicycle before securing the handbag and returning it to its owner.”
Swiatek (25), of McDonald Court, Perth, admitted assaulting a 67-year-old woman, snatching a bag from her possession, causing her to stumble and robbing her of the bag and its contents.
Solicitor David Holmes told the court, “This was not planned, but was committed on the spur of the moment. He pled guilty straight away, which at least meant that the complainer did not require to come to court.”
Mr Holmes said his client had an offer of work and would struggle to support his family if jailed.
But Sheriff Michael Fletcher told the accused custody was the only appropriate sentence, given the details of the offence and his albeit brief criminal record.
“You have committed a serious offence,” he said. “That is particularly true when I take into account that you have already committed an assault in this country and been jailed in Poland for a very similar offence.
“The nature of this latest offence is one that causes this court a great deal of concern, and I have come to the conclusion that I cannot deal with this by any way other than a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Fletcher told the accused the period of imprisonment had been reduced from six months to reflect his early guilty plea.