Lincs: A robber who left his victim in agony and lying in the road has been jailed

Anthony Robertson, who was under the influence of both illicit drugs and legal highs, ran into the 69-year-old as his victim was making his way home from the Ritz pub on Lincoln High Street.

Robertson, who mistakenly believed he was being chased, then rifled through Mr Broxholme’s pockets and took his wallet as the pensioner lay helpless on the ground just yards from his flat in Hermit Street in the city.

Mr Broxholme, who suffered from breathing and mobility problems, was taken to Lincoln County Hospital but died the following day.

Doctors were unable to prove that the mugging was a cause of his death and Robertson was only charged with robbery rather than a more serious offence such as manslaughter.

Anthony Robertson, 23, of Grosvenor Road, Skegness, admitted robbery as a result of the attack on 27th June.

Judge Michael Heath told him: “Mr Broxholme was a harmless, pleasant man who had gone to the Ritz for a drink. He was making his way home to his flat. He wasn’t a well man. He had breathing difficulties and he had mobility difficulties.”

“You collided with him and knocked him to the floor. You had the presence of mind to help yourself to his wallet. You then left him lying in the road. What you did was despicable.”

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said that the tea-time incident happened as Mr Broxholme walked back to his flat from the pub where he was a regular customer.

A woman passer-by raised the alarm when she found Mr Broxholme, known as Ringo to his friends, lying on the ground.

Miss Bradley said that afterwards Robertson offered a friend drugs and his victim’s wallet if the man would give him an alibi.

Robertson was arrested after he was seen behaving strangely close to the attack. He later confessed what he had done to his girlfriend’s mother.

Miss Bradley said: “Sadly Mr Broxholme died the following day. The Crown don’t say the robbery caused that death or was a substantial factor in his death. He was not a well man at the time and he had serious breathing difficulties.”

“We cannot say significant force was used but he was a vulnerable elderly man with health difficulties.”

Liz Harte, defending, said Robertson was full of remorse for what he did and had been the victim of two serious attacks since he has been held in custody.

“His mind was not functioning properly at the time. He had taken both legal and illegal drugs. That was his lifestyle. Where he was going to get his next drugs from is what motivated his day to day activity.”