A MUGGER who snatched a woman’s purse before returning some of the money to pay for her car parking has been jailed for two years and three months.

Eric Whike struck in Bradford city centre in broad daylight when his victim was walking from work to an NCP car park at 4.20pm on April 21.

Whike, who stank of alcohol and body odour, pulled at her handbag from behind on Goitside and threatened: “I’m going to have you,” Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The usually busy street was deserted as he targeted the lone woman just as she was about to get out her car keys.

He looked in a bag containing her laptop computer before grabbing her purse, bending her thumb back as he snatched it from her.

He took out £20 but returned £5 when the woman told him she now had no money for the car park.

Whike dropped another banknote before going down on his knees and begging her not to get him arrested.

The court heard he gave her his name and said he needed the money for cocaine.

A passer-by then intervened to chase him away.

Whike, 49, of Market Street, Thornton, Bradford, pleaded guilty to robbery and to an offence of possession of a carving knife on June 13 last year at the supported accommoda-tion where he was then living on Rooley Lane, Bradford.

The court heard he wandered the building in the early hours in just his boxer shorts, heavily intoxicated. He banged repeatedly on a woman’s door and stabbed at it with the weapon.

He then confronted her in a corridor before returning to his room. The police seized the knife from his bedside cabinet.

He had no recollection of the incident, the court was told.

He was on bail for that offence when he committed the robbery.

Whike was then remanded into custody and sentenced on a video link to HMP Leeds.

He had 49 previous convictions for 75 offences, including theft, fraud, harassment, damage and threatening behaviour.

His solicitor advocate, Julian White, said the circumstances of the robbery were “bizarre.”

Whike was intelligent, rational and thoughtful when sober but “despicable when he’s in drink.”

He stopped offending for a long period in 2017 but being in supported accommodation in the Covid-19 lockdown had turned him back to drink and drugs.

He had pleaded guilty and was remorseful, Mr White said.

Recorder Judy Dawson said both the women must have been very frightened.

Whike was jailed for 27 months for robbery with four months to run concurrently for possession of the knife.