An armed robber who preyed on pensioners in York was this afternoon jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The city's crown court heard that he is having to be segregated in prison for his own safety.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said that Robert David Godliman, 24, pulled an air pistol on one of his victims when she resisted him.

It was one of a series of muggings on people aged up to 80 in the Tang Hall and Heworth areas of York.

Godliman, of Kirkstone Drive, Burnholme, York, pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery, one of attempted robbery, one of theft, possessing an imitation firearm during an attempted robbery, and asked for three offences of theft to be taken into consideration.

Sentencing him, Recorder David Dobbin said: "These are very mean and nasty offences."

He added: "You attempted to, and did, snatch handbags or purses from elderly people, vulnerable people, one of whom had just been to the Post Office for her pension."

The judge said that his victim in the armed robbery would have had no idea that the air pistol was not a fully-operational gun.

He jailed Godliman for three years and six months.

The robber had no previous convictions.

His barrister, Robert Collins, said prison staff were having to segregate him from other inmates for his own safety.

Mr Bradshaw described how between April 19 and May 6 this year Godliman rode up to his victims on a bicycle and snatched their handbags.

On one occasion he injured an 80-year-old woman on her way home with her pension, leaving her with a bad back, shocked and shaken.

On April 29 he attacked a woman from behind, but she resisted him so he pulled an air pistol out and threatened her with it.

On May 6 he attacked a 76-year-old woman on her way home from church.

He had to use force to take her bag but two men stopped him and returned the bag to his victim and a third man, Jonathan Green, called the police.

The judge ordered a £200 reward for Mr Green.

Mr Collins said Godliman came from a decent background, but had shared a house with a young man who introduced him to heroin.

His habit escalated through smoking to using a needle.

He told his family about his addiction two-and-a-half years ago, but eventually they could not support him financially any more and he turned to crime to fund his habit.

He apologised for his crimes.

Updated: 16:25 Monday, June 11, 2001