A POOLE man who subjected a vulnerable widow to a "terrifying and traumatic" robbery in her own home has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

John Swanson, 22, of Aspen Gardens, together with his cousin, Joseph Johnson, 30, forced their way into 58-year-old Theresa Hitchings's first-floor flat in Rossmore on the evening of January 24 this year.

Sentencing Swanson at Bournemouth Crown Court, Recorder Peter Wright said: "It was a callous, mean and cowardly crime in the home of a defenceless lady who lived alone.

"It must have been a terrifying and traumatic experience for her."

Johnson, who knew the victim, had pushed Mrs Hitchings into her lounge, while Swanson snatched her handbag containing just £6 from another room.

Mrs Hitchings told the court she had been so upset and traumatised by the incident that she had alerted the police.

Johnson was later found hiding in an airing cupboard at a nearby address and he admitted carrying out the robbery.

Swanson had denied being the second robber, but a crown court jury unanimously convicted him of the offence.

The 22-year-old was also sentenced to four years in jail to run concurrently for a distraction burglary in December 2003, another crime carried out with his accomplice Johnson.

Here, the pair had gone into Bradpole Road post office, and while Johnson distracted the postmistress, Swanson went behind the counter and raided her handbag.

The court heard how Swanson had a string of convictions dating back to when he was just 14 years old, including robbery, assault, criminal damage, theft and burglary, and he had already done time in young offenders institution.

In June this year, he was sent to prison for three months for assaulting a police officer while on bail for the latest robbery.

But Ross Weeden, defending, said Swanson seemed to commit offences under the influence of "older and more sophisticated men".

He added: "Johnson seemed to play the lead role in the two offences."

Johnson was jailed for 10 years in August after admitting four robberies and the post office burglary.

Both Swanson and Johnson were arrested following a special Poole CID operation, code named Operation Taxus, to crack down on burglaries targeting vulnerable and elderly people.

It was launched after crime analysts at Poole police station realised burglaries involving older residents in Poole were escalating in seriousness.

First published: November 16