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Nurse pities jailed mugger
A plucky nurse who fought off a daylight robber said she pities him after he was jailed.
Mugger Ian Weldon tried to snatch Hazel Hazlett's handbag as she walked to work at Sunderland Royal Hospital. But the 5ft tall 55-year-old refused to give it up without a fight and hit back, despite him throwing punches at her.
The booze-fuelled attacker gave up his fight, but as was about to escape he was chased by bus driver William Carroll and his passengers, as the bus was parked at Thornhill Terrace.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how in the violent confrontation that followed, Mr Carroll suffered a fracture to his thumb, a sprain to his hand, a black eye and cuts to his finger and forearm.
He needed a plaster cast on his hand and was unable to drive his bus for several weeks.
Former Nissan worker Weldon, 29, of Chester Road, admitted attempted robbery and assault on April 30, and was jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Today, Hazel, who is married to Rev Stephen Hazlett, Sunderland's industrial chaplain, said: "I feel sorry for him in a way that someone is reduced to this type of behaviour, and doesn't think of the consequences of what he does.
"The consequences of his actions could have been a lot worse if I had been an elderly person or had a heart condition, or I could have been thrown into the road."
She added: "I think if prison works as a punishment then that is great, but they need to go a bit further.
"I think they need to look at why he did this. He needs to be reformed and I hope he learns something from this."
After being attacked, Hazel continued on to her shift at the hospital.
Andrew Finlay, mitigating, said the events were a "blur" to Weldon, who was drunk when the attack took place.
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Weather for Sunderland
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -1 C to 2 C
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