A thief who pretended to befriend an 82-year-old woman before shoving her to the ground and stealing her handbag has been jailed for 16 months.
Sanela Osmanovic, 44, watched the pensioner withdraw £300 from a cash point in Moss Side before following her to a bus stop on Moss Lane East, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Attack after friendly conversation
There, Osmanovic struck up a conversation by asking the victim her age. When she replied saying she was born in 1942 during the Second World War, Osmanovic said: "I can't believe it. You look 65 to 70."
The victim then hugged Osmanovic and told her she was kind, only for the thief to push her to the floor and steal her handbag containing the money and an iPhone. She was later seen on CCTV carrying the bag and arrested.
Victim's injuries and impact
The victim was taken to hospital, where she was found to have a fractured spine, although medics were unable to ascertain if the injury had been sustained in the attack on April 17 last year. In a victim impact statement, the woman said the assault meant her quality of life had 'changed for the worse' and she was now 'terrified of strangers'.
The court heard Osmanovic, a long-term drug addict, had 50 previous convictions for 105 offences dating back to 2001, including 57 for theft-related crimes.
Court hearing and sentence
Steve Nikolich, defending, said Osmanovic, who the court heard was born in Serbia and had fled the Balkan wars as a child, was 'very sorry for her behaviour'. He added: "There is a genuine expression of remorse."
Recorder Sarah Johnston said Osmanovic, who suffers from PTSD and emotionally unstable personality disorder, was 'incredibly vulnerable as a result of fleeing a violent conflict when she was still very young'. She added: "On the other hand it's hard to imagine a worse way to treat an 82-year-old. I consider the fact you pretended to befriend her only to assault and steal from her to be one of the most aggravating factors. It was beyond cruel. It was unforgivable."
Osmanovic, of no fixed abode, was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to theft and battery.
