A woman was left with a broken leg after a robber snatched her bag as she tried to make her way home following a night out in Manchester city centre. Jordan McKenzie, 34, grabbed the woman's bag while on a bike in the early hours, dragging her to the floor. He left empty-handed after her friend pursued him and retrieved the bag.
Robbery on Charlotte Street
Manchester Crown Court heard that McKenzie, a drug addict, carried out the robbery to fund his next fix. Prosecuting, Simon Barrett said the woman was walking with her friend on Charlotte Street at about 3.15am on April 19, heading towards Piccadilly Gardens to get a lift home. McKenzie approached on a bike from the other direction at speed and grabbed the bag she was carrying over her shoulder.
The woman was dragged to the ground, left prostrate and injured as McKenzie rode off. But her friend and a nearby taxi driver pursued him. The friend swung her handbag at McKenzie, causing him to drop the stolen bag. McKenzie shouted abuse before leaving the area.
Identification and injury
McKenzie was later identified from a CCTV image shared by GMP and published by the Manchester Evening News. The victim attended Stepping Hill hospital and was found to have suffered a broken leg. She suffered complications and weeks later had to call 999 due to pain.
The woman said she felt like her 'whole world had shattered' after being told she would likely be off work for 12 weeks. She said she felt 'stripped' of her independence, unable to carry out basic tasks and having to live with her parents-in-law. The woman, born and bred in Manchester but now living on the Isle of Man, said: "It has changed my whole opinion of Manchester. It is difficult because it is my home town." She added: "I want justice for what he has done to me."
Burglary and sentencing
About two weeks later, on May 4, McKenzie was one of a number of offenders who broke into Shack Bar and Grill on High Street. During the break-in, bottles of alcohol and iPads were stolen, with the loss totalling about £5,000.
Defending, Bob Sastry said McKenzie had kept out of trouble for 16 years since 2010, but a series of incidents had left him homeless and addicted to drugs. He had worked and had a partner but 'turned to drink and drugs' after a 'series of horrific bereavements', including of his mother and grandmother. He lost his job and partner and began living on the streets.
Judge Paul Mason said McKenzie had carried out the robbery 'to raise money to buy more drugs'. He sentenced McKenzie, of no fixed address, who pleaded guilty to robbery and burglary, to a total of three years and nine months in prison.
