A shameless thief could be Britain’s worst low-life after he robbed an elderly disabled man on a mobility scooter of £1,100 as he pretended to hug him in thanks for a £3.10 donation.
Andrew Merritt, 34, asked the 88-year-old victim if he could spare him £2 and the kind pensioner took out his wallet to try and help him out, actually giving him more.
But CCTV then showed Merritt – who had has previous convictions relating to 118 offences – hugging the elderly man before grabbing his wallet and walking away smiling.
As the elderly man pleaded for it back, the thug counted the large wad of £20 banknotes from inside the wallet.
He then kept the cash and dumped the wallet nearby.
Andrew Merritt, 34, (pictured) robbed £1,100 from an 88-year-old disabled man. He had 188 previous convictions
The moment Andrew Merritt took the elderly man’s wallet despite the kind pensioner giving him £3.10
The kind 88-year-old pensioner begs for his £1,100 back while Merritt counts out the wad of notes he has just taken
Nottingham Crown Court heard Merritt stole £1,100 in the robbery which happened in Potter Street, Worksop, Notts., on August 1 this year.
Witnesses went to the elderly man’s aid before calling the police.
Footage shows Merritt stopping in a doorway of a house where he changed his T-shirt in a bid to avoid detection.
Merritt was arrested after a police officer recognised him from the CCTV footage.
Bodycam footage shows Merritt being arrested as he lay on his bed six days after the robbery.
During a police interview, Merritt denied stealing the money, insisting the elderly man had agreed to purchase a bike from him.
Merritt, of Cheapside, Worksop, later admitted robbery and on Wednesday he was jailed for four years at Nottingham Crown Court.
He was also given a Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from Workshop town centre for four years and ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.
The moment the shameless thief, Merritt, walks off with the disabled pensioners cash with a grin plastered across his face
Shameless Merritt ignored the pensioners pleas to return his substantial sum of cash as he walked off and dumped the wallet
The court heard he has previous convictions relating to 118 offences, including theft, shoplifting, assault, breaching court orders and burglaries.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Hall, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘Merritt’s actions were cowardly in the extreme.
‘He preyed on a vulnerable man knowing he would not be able to stop him making off with his money.
‘When he asked for £2, the elderly victim gave him that and more, out of the goodness of his heart.
Shameless Merritt videoed changing his shirt in an attempt to avoid detection from the police after stealing from the defenceless old man
Merritt, who had 118 previous convictions, was found by police six days after he committed the shocking robbery
The moment shameless thief, Merritt, is caught by police in his bed after stealing over £1,000 from an elderly man in a mobility scooter
‘It was a kind act of generosity and so it was staggering that Merritt repaid the gentleman’s empathy by robbing him of such a vast amount of money.
‘It was an extremely cruel crime and I am pleased Merritt has been made to pay for his appalling actions.
‘I hope the outcome at court provides the victim with some comfort in knowing that Merritt can no longer harm anybody in our communities.
‘I’d also like to thank the witnesses who came forward with information so that we could put Merritt behind bars.’