Drug addict who robbed vulnerable pensioner in Coventry city centre is jailed for three years

[dutchman]

A Coventry woman who robbed a vulnerable elderly lady of cash she had just taken from her Post Office account to pay her water rates has been put behind bars for three years

Self-confessed drug addict Rachel Burgess, of Meadow House in Spon Street, had threatened the 79-year-old woman, who suffers from a lung complaint, that she had a knife – as she had done in one of her previous 68 offences, a judge has heard.

Burgess, was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to the robbery which took place On February 27.

The elderly woman, who walks with the aid of a wheeled walking frame, went into city centre with her daughter to withdraw £200 from her Post Office account to pay her water rates.

She then continued to do some shopping on her own, with the cash in her purse in a bag on her walking frame before she was approached by Burgess in Lower Holyhead Road.

The pensioner felt uncomfortable, and did not want to engage with Burgess who suddenly demanded: “Give me your money.”

She responded by saying she was not feeling well, but Burgess persisted, telling her: “I’m a druggie. Give me your money. I’ve got a knife in my pocket.”

Although no knife was actually produced, the elderly woman was scared; and as she tried to steady herself, Burgess began to search through the bag on her walker.

Burgess took her purse and demanded her pin number, but was told she did not have one, so took the cash from the purse and walked off with it.

The incident was captured on a CCTV camera, and Burgess was arrested later that day, but made no comment when she was questioned.

Burgess had 36 previous convictions for 68 offences, mainly theft but including two earlier robberies, one of which had involved her grabbing a woman’s shopping bag and threatening that she had a knife when her victim resisted.

Justin Jarmola, defending Burgess, said she had since shown remorse for carrying out the robbery, but Prosecutor Jonathan Barker said there was ‘a significant amount of personal mitigation’ for Burgess, who had been in the grip of a class A drug addiction since the age of 16.

Her addiction to heroin and crack cocaine was costing her £100 a day, but since being remanded in custody following her arrest, she had managed to get clean of those drugs.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told Burgess: “You have a very serious record and a very large number of thefts, no doubt because you were in the grip of class A drugs.

“This lady is 79 years old. She has to push herself along on a walker. She needs to use that to get out and about, and she needs to get out to get fresh air, the better for her lungs.

“She describes how this has affected her confidence. She will find it more difficult to go out.

“This case is seriously aggravated by reason of your previous convictions. You simply have not learned. And you targeted this victim due to her vulnerability."

[dutchman]

This is the drug addict who robbed a frail 79-year-old woman at knifepoint in Coventry



This is a drug addict who robbed at knifepoint an elderly woman who walks with a frame.

Police have now issued a mugshot of Rachel Burgess, 33, of Meadow House, Spon Street, who was jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to robbery.

[kiera]

this is my mum I know she's a good person on the inside although you may not see it because she has done wrong we all do wrong and some times it takes longer for others to learn from them little mistakes that make big mistakes

[kiera]

this is my mum she is a good person although its been years since I've seen her but that don't matter I miss her I love my mum and I know you people love yours she did wrong so what we all do wrong but she didn't learn the first time hopefully shell learn soon love u mum

[dutchman]

she didn't learn the first time hopefully shell learn soon

Hi Kiera , we all hope so too!

[rebbonk]

Kiera, that post took guts. Welcome to our forum.