A mugger, who sparked outrage after robbing a  95-year-old woman in Wythenshawe, has been jailed.

Cassandra Harvey, aged 42, of Hopton Avenue, Wythenshawe was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery at Manchester Crown Court.

Harvey mugged the 95-year-old woman after approaching her victim as she was waiting at a bus stop near to the civic centre on the afternoon of Friday 17 April.

Harvey asked her for some change for the bus and when the bus arrived, they both boarded. When the victim got off at Lownorth Road, Harvey followed her and asked for more money. The elderly lady took her purse out of her bag before she grabbed it, causing the victim to fall to the ground.

Harvey ran off, and she was grabbed by a witness but struggled free, leaving the purse behind.

The victim, a grandmother of two had been out of hospital just a few weeks after suffering pneumonia and had been through 16 operations for skin cancer.

Detective Constable Melanie King said: “This was a cowardly attack on a woman in her nineties. Harvey targeted a vulnerable and elderly woman and followed her until choosing a most opportune moment to strike.

“I hope today’s sentence brings the victim some peace, knowing that Harvey is behind bars and unable to commit any more violent robberies.”