A thief who stopped an elderly man in the street before robbing him of £1,100 has been jailed.
Andrew Merritt asked the 88-year-old if he could spare a couple of pounds and the pensioner, who was on a mobility scooter, took out his wallet and gave him £3.10.
CCTV footage showed Merritt then hug the man before grabbing the wallet and walking away.
As the elderly man pleaded for it back, Merritt grinned as he counted the large wad of £20 banknotes from inside the wallet. He kept the cash and dumped the wallet.
Watch more on Independent TV: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news
Click here to subscribe to The Independent: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent
About The Independent:
Making Change Happen. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded.
Connect with The Independent:
Check out our full video catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/theindependent/videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: http://www.theindy.com
Click here to get the best of The Independent daily: https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters
Like The Independent on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/TheIndependentOnline
Follow The Independent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Independent
Follow The Independent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.independent
Download the iOS & Android app: https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app
Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust – https://www.independent.co.uk/donations
Subscribe to Independent Premium for exclusive content & live events: https://bit.ly/2MiOONB
27 Comments
If he'd stolen from a rich member of the upper classes you can guarantee the charges would have been different and he'd have got a longer sentence.
Criminals are encouraged to target the lower classes, hence the low sentence and early release after around 18 months.
Not laughing now.💩💩
But did the victim get anything back? Please give more information next time.
A lot of Brits getting riled up about protests. But you won’t see them helping anyone if it’s an old man getting robbed outside their home.
Bloody foreigners. 😂
Yet you blame immigrants for all your problems in the uk ?😂
Glad police filmed this waste of air getting arrested
Omg 😢😥 I hope this man is caught and give a strict sentence.
This is disgusting.😭
Four years…. Not long enough….
He has stolen what is left of that gentleman's life and independence. Shameful..
Life in prison.No excuse whatsoever.
Did the old man get his money back?
Thank goodness for cctv .
Damn Muslims and immigrants!!!!
In Britain you used to get huпg for stealing anything worth over £20
Shouldn’t carry that amount of money on you
What an absolute scum bag!
How could any human stoop so low to rob a pensioner of what very little he had. Absolutely despicable 😡🤬🤬
Good don’t drop the soap in the showers ,,,,,well done the police,
The police and justice system actually doing their jobs, astounding.
Who brought up these thieves and disrespectful monsters
That is the lowest of the low. Just a shame the police cant be this swift in handcuffing the just stop oil folk.
where is this man? fb ? insta? he cannot live a free life now made me sick
As sylvester would say "deesssspicable !"
This sick someone actually could do this to an older person
Usual suspects😂. Always go after the oldest, youngest(number 1 pedos according to Interpol 🤢) or most defenseless. Typical greedy, criminal European men have been doing that to every one unprovoked all through history. It's in their nature😢. Welcome to the cultural enrichment of Europe😊. And the justice system protected this White male criminal as he committed hundreds of crimes😮.
Usual suspects😂. Always go after the oldest, youngest(number 1 pedos according to Interpol 🤢) or most defenseless. Typical greedy, criminal European men have been doing that to every one unprovoked all through history. It's in their nature😢. Welcome to the cultural enrichment of Europe😊. And the justice system protected this White male criminal as he committed hundreds of crimes😮. This White male criminal represents all White men😊.
Let’s hope they give him a good welcome in prison.
His mug shot is so comical.