A ROBBER who preyed on two vulnerable women has been jailed for two years and four months.

Jeremy Robb sneaked up on his first victim as she walked home from the shops and tried to take her bag from her shoulder, Swindon Crown Court heard.

When Alfreda Wnuska refused to let go of her possessions, the burly 28-year-old knocked her over and dragged her along the ground, before fleeing empty handed.

Just over a week later Robb, who was high on legal highs and drink, was back on the Canal Walk path where he successfully swiped the bag of another lady, Maria Valente.

But after police released CCTV images of the second incident he was reported by a friend and he was also identified by DNA on an iPod he dropped during the first attack.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court the 49-year-old Polish lady was walking on the path near Curtis Street at 11.10am on Thursday, October 30.

She was in an alleyway opposite the Samaritans charity shop holding two carrier bags of shopping when she was approached from behind.

“Suddenly, without warning, she felt her handbag being pulled and a male voice say ‘your handbag, madam’,” she said.

“The male forcefully tried to pull it from her grasp but she managed to hold on. It resulted in her being pulled forward.

“She was dragged two to three metres on the ground still holding on to her handbag, struggling.”

During the incident the defendant dropped his iPod and Ms Wnuska, who suffered cuts and grazes to her arm and bruising to her leg, grabbed it before he ran off.

The second incident took place at about 1pm on Sunday November 8 when MissValente, 58, was walking on the old canal.

She had her handbag over her shoulder near Cambria Bridge when a man came up behind and suddenly whipped it from her.

“There was CCTV covering the area and a press release sent out for two males who appeared on that CCTV,” Miss Marlow said The police were contacted by one of the men shown who said he had chased after the attacker, who he knew only as Jeremy, to Faringdon Park.

Robb, of Kemerton Walk, Park South, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and theft.

Rob Ross, defending, said his client admitted what he had done as soon as he was arrested and bitterly regretted his actions.

He said he was using legal highs and drinking too much at the time of the offences as he was upset following the suicide of a friend.

Jailing Robb, Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “The first offence was committed in daytime, you were one of two men it seemed.

“You attempted to snatch a lady’s handbag.

“She resisted – that showed a good deal of courage in the circumstances, which is a marked contract from your behaviour towards her.

“As a result of resisting what you were trying to do she ended up on the ground. You didn’t stop, then you dragged her along the ground for two to three metres.

“It wasn’t an isolated incident because again nine days later you did the same sort of thing, but used no force which is why that amounts to theft. These are serious matters.

“These offences were planned and as I understand it, in broad terms, took place in the same sort of area.

“As the author of a pre-sentence report says, you targeted vulnerable women.”