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Thug was chased down by postman after assaulting and robbing 86-year-old woman

Postman Brian O'Neill is the toast of his Motherwell colleagues after he chased and caught a mugger, Gerard Wright, who had grabbed an old woman’s handbag.
Postman Brian O'Neill is the toast of his Motherwell colleagues after he chased and caught a mugger, Gerard Wright, who had grabbed an old woman’s handbag.

A cowardly thug who was caught by a hero postman after he robbed an 86-year-old woman in a street attack has been jailed for 16 months.

Gerard Wright, 23, assaulted Janet Ballantyne and stole her handbag as the pensioner was out shopping in Motherwell, Lanarkshire.

He bundled her to the ground leaving her with head injuries and ran off with her bag.

However, he was quickly stopped as watching postman Brian O’Neill gave chase and eventually caught him 100 yards down the road.

Shaken Janet was taken to Wishaw General Hospital where she was treated for a cut to her head before being released.

Wright had earlier appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted carrying out the cowardly attack in April.

He has now been jailed by Sheriff Vincent Smith for the incident.

Ex-soldier Brian, 48, was waiting at traffic lights carrying a bag of mail when he noticed Wright fleeing the area.  He said: “He was carrying a handbag with a loose strap and I knew right away he must have stolen it.

“I just went into tunnel vision and focused on him. I shot straight across the road and followed him.

“Some people ignored him and moved out of his way as he ran along. But I saw a workman and shouted to him to grab the mugger and he did.

“We both had hold of him and then an off-duty police officer arrived in a car. He took over and searched the man who still had the handbag.”

Depute fiscal Imran Bashir told the court: “A short struggle ensued whereby the accused yanked at the complainer’s handbag causing her to fall and strike her head on the ground, and made off with her handbag and its contents.

“At this time the witness Brian O’Neill was delivering mail when he observed the accused running towards Merry Street carrying what he believed to be a dark coloured handbag with a broken strap.

“He immediately formed the opinion the accused had stolen the bag and as a result he gave chase while shouting for the accused to stop.

“He grabbed hold of the accused assisted by other witnesses and they detained the accused there.”

Postie Brian said he didn’t stop to consider his own safety and wasn’t worried about the burden of carrying the mail during the chase.

He added: “I would do the same again as I hate that sort of thing happening to a pensioner. I used to be in the Army and I still have a decent level of fitness. This job keeps you in shape too.”

And despite his heroics Brian finished his shift after giving police a statement before heading home to tell his wife Elaine, daughter Kayleigh, 16, and son Aidan, 13, about his exploits.

Wright’s prison term was reduced from two years because of his guilty plea.