A THWARTED shoplifter snatched a disabled woman's handbag as he ran out of a Worcester store.

Justin Bennett found it contained nearly £500 and spent the cash on travelling to Birmingham to buy drugs, said Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting.

The 28-year-old admitted two charges of theft when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court yesterday.

Judge Marten Coates said the offence merited three years jail but he was deferring sentence until Friday, August 24, to see if Bennett could kick his heroin habit.

Bennett, of Holly Mount Road, Tolladine, Worcester, was spotted taking four coffee jars from the Co-op store in Ronkswood Hill, last September, said Mr Shakoor. He left them after being spoken to by the manager.

But as he made his way out of the premises by a rear door, he snatched the bag from a 63-year-old disabled woman.

With the stolen cash, he went to Birmingham with a friend to buy heroin and crack cocaine.

He later told police: "It looked so simple. I just grabbed the bag and ran."

The day after appearing in court, he stole a £27 gift box from Debenhams in Worcester.

Samantha Forsyth, defending, said Bennett had made a genuine attempt to cure his heroin addiction. When he was drug-free, he was crime-free.

Judge Coates said he was prepared to delay sentence because of the efforts Bennett had made to overcome his drug problem.