BRIDGWATER man Cory Farrar has been jailed after robbing a woman in her 80s after she did her shopping on New Year’s Eve.
The incident, in Puriton, unfolded after Farrar, 27, watched the victim do her shopping on December 31, 2022.
As she left the store, he followed her to Riverton Road where he snatched her bag of groceries and purse containing cash and bank cards, causing her to fall onto the floor.
He was identified following CCTV enquiries and witness accounts and was arrested the following morning.
Farrar was subsequently charged with robbery and he pleaded guilty in May.
He was sentenced to three years in prison when he appeared at Taunton Crown Court on Thursday, July 18.
In her victim personal statement read out in court, the victim said the incident had had a “huge” impact on her health and that she would now no longer leave her home alone.
She said: “I have been so stressed. I cannot remember the male’s face which taunts me every day.
“I am constantly looking over my shoulder, worried that he is near. My mental health has declined since the incident, and I can no longer see a future.”
READ MORE: Click here for mor Somerset crime news from your Leveller
She added: “I cannot forgive the male that I now know to be Cory Farrar for this. He has taken so much from me and it is unforgiveable.
“I pray every night for justice, not just for me but for my family. They are so worried about me and I feel that I am a burden to them as I cannot go about my daily life without them.
“I just want my life back. I want to be the person I was before December 31, 2022.
“I haven’t bounced back and I want nothing more than to not cry daily and return to some type of normality.”
DC Redine Carter, investigating officer for Avon & Somerset Police, said: “This incident has had an enormous impact on the victim and her family and I’m glad that we have been able to secure justice for her in court.
“She has spoken incredibly bravely about the effect this incident has had on her life over the last 19 months and I hope this prison sentence will allow her to return to some sort of normality.”
Your community and family are with you and will help you get your life back. This man is in jail and can’t hurt you now. ❤️