Smethwick addict who robbed punter, 83, at bookmakers jailed for 2 years 5 months.

Alex Traore struck after the 83-year-old was served by staff at the William Hill branch in Smethwick High Street.

His victim had either placed a bet or collected winnings from the counter and was putting cash into his pocket when the robber made his move, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 30-year-old grabbed the money, prompting a short struggle that ended when the elderly man fell to the floor.

The robber snatched £350 cash and fled, continued Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting. The victim was not badly hurt physically but was left shaken. He later told police: "This incident has upset me and made me frightened when I go out."

It was captured on the bookmakers CCTV system and the culprit was arrested after police recognised him while viewing the film footage.

Mr Charnjit Jutla, defending, said Traore turned to drugs two years ago after losing his job as a machine operator at a factory where he had worked for ten years before it went out of business.

The lawyer continued: "At that point his life started to spiral out of control. He began using cannabis before moving on to harder drugs and is now addicted to heroin."

The defendant, who had previous convictions for shoplifting, turned to robbery because he needed money to settle a debt with his drug dealer, the court was told.

Traore from Regent Court, Smethwick, had received a community order for burglary just four weeks before taking the man's cash on December 11 last year. "He is not proud of what he has done," concluded Mr Jutla.

The defendant admitted robbery and was sent to prison by Judge Amjad Nawaz who told him: "You deliberately sought out somebody who was clearly elderly and vulnerable."

was addicted to heroin and needed money to repay a debt to his dealer.