John Ward, 41, struck in Bilborough’s Bracebridge Drive shortly after his 78-year-old victim withdrew a large sum of money from a cash machine.
Ward got out of a car, casually strode towards him, and wrenched his wallet from his hands on the morning of May 31, 2022.
He then drove away from the scene in the same car.
Officers quickly tracked down the Vauxhall Corsa and arrested its three occupants after receiving a partial numberplate description from a member of the public.
Inside was discovered the victim’s wallet.
Distant CCTV footage of the incident also showed the then-unidentified robber dressed in what appeared to be Ward’s clothes.
Ward, of Victoria Street in Ironville, initially refused to answer officers’ questions before pleading guilty to robbery.
He was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday.
This was a wicked and cowardly attack on an elderly victim,” said Detective Constable Dionne Love of Nottinghamshire Police.
“That day, Ward saw an opportunity and pounced on a man he saw as an easy target.
Unsurprisingly, this incident had a significant impact on the victim, who was already suffering from serious health issues.
“Ward showed absolutely no regard for his victim’s welfare and could easily have caused him a serious injury.
“I am pleased he has now been held to account for his actions and would also like to thank the quick-thinking member of the public who memorised details of the car number plate.
Even though these details were not entirely accurate, we had enough information to quickly identify a suspect vehicle and pull it over with Ward and the stolen wallet still inside.
“Thanks to Ward’s quick thinking, he is now serving a well-deserved prison sentence, and we have justice for our victim.”
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