A HEROIN addict who preyed on lone female motorists by jumping in their cars and snatching handbags was jailed for three years.

A judge told Jason Coleman his crimes in York city centre were "little short of robbery" and plunged vulnerable women drivers into a state of fear.

Coleman - desperate for cash to feed drug cravings - struck three times in one afternoon in Micklegate, Gillygate and Skeldergate.

The first offence saw motorist Pamela Russell targeted as she waited behind a bus in Skeldergate. Coleman, 32, opened the passenger door and demanded her bag.

The defendant told his victim to drive on before he made a grab for the bag and a struggle started, York Crown Court heard.

Jeremy Hill-Baker, prosecuting, said a passer-by Patrick Simpson heard screams from the car, saw the driver crying and raced to help.

Coleman then bizarrely pretended he was the victim's boyfriend. He jumped into the driver's seat when the woman left the vehicle - but ran off when keys were taken from the ignition.

The drug addict struck a second time in Micklegate, jumping into Lesley Scott's stationary BMW as it waited at lights.

As she looked at a mobile phone text message, Coleman opened her door and lunged for her handbag.

He ran from the vehicle with the bag but the victim managed to alert a witness, John Hasty, who was on a cigarette break and he threw Coleman to the ground.

Coleman dumped the bag and fled the scene, but was soon arrested.

He admitted two theft counts, relating to incidents on March 7, at an earlier hearing.

The court heard that Coleman appeared before York magistrates in April for a copycat offence in Gillygate, also on March 7, and was handed a Drug Testing and Treatment Order (DTTO).

Neil Clark, mitigating, said his client had performed well on the DTTO. Controlling his drug habit, he came across as a "personable, insightful person" who got hooked on heroin after landing accident compensation cash.

Coleman, of Leeman Road, York, was jailed for three years and two months after admitting theft, attempted theft and failure to answer bail charges.

Judge Hoffman praised the "spirited intervention" of the two witnesses who helped the victims, handing the have-a-go-heroes cash rewards.

Updated: 09:51 Saturday, November 01, 2003