A WOMAN drug addict who carried out a violent attempted street robbery on a 15-year-old girl has been jailed for a total of 18 months.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Karen Clarke, 35, punched the girl in the head and pulled her hair in a bid to steal her handbag.

Prosecutor Dave MacKay told the court the attempted robbery happened at 8pm on New Year’s Day as the teenager and her cousin were walking through a dark snicket, near the Asda supermarket, in Keighley.

Clarke ran up and asked to borrow 20 pence. She then started shouting aggressively: “Just give me your bag”.

Mr MacKay said the victim was scared and panicking. Clarke tried to pull her bag from her but the teenager kept hold of it and screamed for help.

Clarke then began hitting her on top of the head and pulled her hair.

Other members of the victim's family ran over and chased Clarke away. The teenager sustained scratches to her hand and her head hurt from the punches.

The court heard Clarke, of Wardle Crescent, Braithwaite, who pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, had 15 previous convictions, all for theft and failing to comply with court orders, but none for violence.

Her solicitor advocate, Arshad Mahmood, said she should be given credit for her guilty plea.

Judge Colin Burn said her previous convictions were for stealing to fund her class A drug habit. He said her compliance with court orders was poor and she had committed the offence of attempted robbery while subject to a conditional discharge.

He said the victim was shaken up by it.

Judge Burn said the victim was just 15 years old but had shown a lot of character in resisting the defendant.

He added: “You seemed to take it as a personal affront that she would not let you run off with her handbag.”

The judge jailed Clarke for 16 months for the attempted robbery with a further month for breaching the conditional discharge and another month for failing to surrender.