A 73-year-old woman was repeatedly punched in the face and knocked to the ground by a heartless mugger.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Lee Evans, who has four previous convictions for robbery, had been deliberately lying in wait for a vulnerable victim and after half an hour pounced after the pensioner parked her car in a dark car park.

Jailing 38-year-old Evans for eight and half years and imposisng an extended licence for three years a judge ruled that he poses a significant risk of serious harm to the public.

Recorder Dennis Watson QC said: "On more than one occasion you have targeted elderly females as suitable victims for your dishonest schemes. You have an appalling record.

"This case involved planning and targetting a vulnerable victim and you made a cynical attempt to get away with it."

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Evans' previous convictions include robbing a woman while she was visitng her husband's grave for which he received three years.

"That sentence seems to have been merciful," commented Recorder Watson.

Evans, of Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead, denied the latest robbery but was convicted after a trial.

The court heard that the incident happened about 5.30 pm on December 7 after the pensioner, Valerie Forster, parked her vehicle in a car park by flats in Victoria Gardens, Birkenhead.

Recorder Dennis Watson continued: "It was a dark poorly-lit area and I am satisfied you had decided it was a perfect location for your attack.

"You had waited 20 – 30 minutes for a suitable victim to present herself.

"You were not planning to rob a man, only a woman and one of senior years.

"You approached her from behind, you pushed her backwards and as she turned you punched her repeatedly to the face.

"The force of those punches was such that she was knocked to the ground."

The victim suffered bruising and strained her ankle as she fell.

"It was chance and chance alone that limited the extent of her injuries,” said Recorder Watson.

Evans fled with her handbag containg a £5 note, her mobile phone and loose change but he was caught within half an hour as a policeman in the area on his way to a call spotted him and then heard about the robbery.

When officers went to his home they recovered the £5 and the phone.

Evans, who carried out his first robbery aged just 14, claimed he had bought the phone from someone and faced trial but was found guilty of the robbery.

John Weate, defending, said that fortunately the spritely victiim had not suffered more serious injuries and did not seem to have been left with any deep-seated pyschological issues.