Gentleman mugger jailed

A gentleman mugger has been jailed despite his elderly victim's pleas for him to be let off because he was so polite.

The pensioner told the court in Salzburg, Austria, that she had not come across such a well mannered criminal for a long time.

The man grabbed the old woman's bag and ran off but returned when he noticed she had fallen to the ground.

"When he saw me fall, he came back. Criminals just don't do that any more," she said.
"He was very neat and well mannered and asked me not to report him. He said he was really sorry, but was just desperate for money," she told the court.
The 27-year-old, who has not been named, then helped his victim search for her keys which had fallen out when he grabbed the bag.

Police arrested the well mannered mugger after being called out by a passer-by who had witnessed the incident.

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years despite the pensioner's testimony after it was revealed it was not his first offence.