A WOMAN who fought off a thief in Redditch was praised by a judge for her "considerable fortitude".

Anita Bailey was walking to her Land Rover in the early hours when drunken Richard Kendall pounced.

He tried to snatch her handbag but Miss Bailey, who is in her thirties, put up a fierce struggle, said prosecutor Francis Laird. She also kicked out at him, catching his right leg which made him let go and run off.

The victim gave police a description and Kendall was arrested six hours later in a town underpass, unconscious through alcohol consumption.

Kendall, aged 18, formerly of Rushock Close, Redditch, pleaded guilty to attempted theft. He was given a not guilty verdict on a charge of attempted robbery and a further count of common assault was allowed to lie on the prosecution file.

Judge Andrew Geddes told the teenager: "This was a disgraceful incident when you were in a drunken stupor. Fortunately the victim showed considerable fortitude in fending you off."

The judge also criticised the defence who commissioned a psychiatric report on Kendall's fitness to plead - after six earlier psychological reports concluded he was not suffering from mental illness.

The report, which cost £700 from public funds, was "wasted" money and did not help him over sentence, said the judge. He ordered Kendall to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and to be supervised by the probation service for 12 months.

The defendant struck about 3am in Ombersley Close on July 2 last year, said Mr Laird. Arrested at 9.20am, he said drink had affected his memory about events that night. The victim picked him out during a police identity procedure.

Kendall, who now lives in Wolverhampton, under the wing of a youth organisation helping him, had 14 previous convictions for theft and violence.

Defence counsel Gurdeep Garcha said the teenager suffered considerable difficulties while growing up but was now being helped to live a normal life.

He was training to be a painter and decorator and had to abide by a nightly curfew to keep him away from trouble.