A DESPERATE drug addict who robbed a pensioner of £50 after she had just visited a cash machine has been jailed for eight months at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

George Tunnicliffe, 53, sneaked up behind the 63-year-old woman and grabbed two £20 notes and a £10 note from her before running off.

But he was pursued by have-a-go-hero Martin Smith who chased him and, after a struggle, recovered the cash.

Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Tunnicliffe of High Street, Galashiels, he had “hit the bottom of the barrel”.

Prosecutor Fiscal Alasdair Fay said the woman had just withdrawn the money from the cash machine at the Co-op supermarket in Gala Park, Galashiels, on the evening of Saturday, August 2, when Tunnicliffe approached her from behind.

He said: “Without any warning he grabbed the money from behind and made off. This was witnessed by members of the public and captured on CCTV.” Defence lawyer Robert More said the money was recovered by Mr Smith.

He said: “The accused then said he was sorry and that he was desperate. He then ran off.” Tunnicliffe also pleaded guilty to three other complaints which involved stealing £81 worth of alcohol from the Tesco superstore in Galashiels on August 18, as well as shoplifting from ASDA in November 2012, and stealing a jacket from Borders General Hospital last year.

Mr More explained that Tunnicliffe’s criminal record had only begun five years ago following an acrimonious separation from his partner when he previously owned a forestry business and a house.

He said: “He moved into Galashiels and associated himself with the wrong type of people and began to use illicit drugs. His new partner died of a heroin overdose on May 12.” Mr More said Tunnicliffe had been his new partner’s carer and, following her death, had encountered difficulties with benefits. This had caused him to be desperate for money which led to the robbery.

Sheriff Drummond imposed an eight month jail sentence for the robbery and three months on each of the other complaints to run concurrently.

He said: “Now aged 53 you have a catalogue of relatively minor offending and the court has tried to deal with it without custody. But when you reach the high point in this course of offending, stealing £50 from the hands of a 63-year-old lady at a cash machine then you have hit the bottom of the barrel.”