Man jailed for more than four years for robbing a pensioner
Robert Wetherall robbed the 75-year-old man and threatened to stab him.
A man who robbed a 75-year-old in Swindon and threatened to stab him has been jailed for more than four years.
39-year-old Robert Alby Wetherall, of Whitworth Road, admitted following his victim home before stealing his bag on Colbourne Street in April.
Wetherall was sentenced to 52 months imprisonment when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court on November 7.
The pensioner says the ordeal has left him struggling to sleep and feeling anxious.
He said: “I live alone and have no family or friends nearby. I have been diagnosed with cancer. When this incident happened, I was startled and shocked. I wasn’t physically injured but mentally it has impacted me greatly. Initially after the incident, I could not sleep properly and I kept on thinking about it. I just want to live normally without any fear of someone following me.”
PC Kash Hamid said: “The impact of an incident like this on an individual can be long lasting and it is only right that Wetherall was handed a custodial sentence for his actions. He targeted a man in his 70s as he walked home alone from work, leaving him feeling understandably shaken up.
"Following a detailed investigation by our officers, we have been able to ensure he was put before the courts for justice to be served.”