Katie Bland, from West Yorkshire, threatened a witness who tried to stop her from abusing her partner
A woman has been jailed after she robbed her OAP boyfriend on a bus before telling a passenger who came to his aid she would ‘knock her jaw off’.
Katie Bland, 31, from Greetland, West Yorkshire, attacked her partner, aged in his 70s, on a bus before snatching his bank card on January 6. Bus passengers were left shocked after she shouted at him for only offering her £20 instead of handing over his card.
She kicked him and “grabbed the collar of his coat” in front of horrified passengers. One woman who attempted to intervene was told she would be hit in the jaw if she “didn’t shut the f**k up.”
On Friday, prosecutor Nathan Davis told Bradford Crown Court: “He left after an argument and she would call him and be abusive and ask for money. At 4pm, she found out he was at Halifax bus station and attended and was abusive, calling him a racist word and a dirty dog.
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“She grabbed the collar of his coat and threw him around, demanding money. He offered her £20 but she wanted his bank card and he refused to give her it. He offered to go to an ATM to withdraw money.
“On the journey, she was abusive and started to become violent and kick him. A woman witnessed this and was alerted to the defendant’s actions when she saw her screaming at him. She saw her kick him in the leg and tried to intervene.”
Bland then continued to assault the man. The court heard police were eventually called, although Bland managed to use the man’s bank card t withdraw £40 before they arrived. She was arrested and answered “no comment” in her interview, reports Yorkshire Live.
Bland went on to admit robbery, assault by beating, fraud and blackmail. In his statement, the man said he has “never been so depressed or worried” in all of his life. Mr Davis said: “He said, ‘I wake up and don’t know how she is going to be. I get abused daily. I lost all of my friends for my relationship. My friends have told me what she is like and asks for money to buy drugs. ‘Her behaviour is the last weeks has become worse. It has affected me to the point I want to give up with life. I never want to come home due to the mess she has left in my house.'”
It was said Bland, who appeared over a video link from HMP New Hall, had previous convictions on her record, and was actually the subject of a suspended sentence for another robbery at the time she committed those she fell to be sentenced for on Friday.
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Mitigating, Shila Whitehead, said: “What she tells me is she has been in custody since January. She said she is aware her behaviour towards him was unacceptable and she is willing to accept help. She accepts at the time of committing these offences she was using drugs and was heavily dependant on them.
“During the time she has been in prison she tells me that she has undertaken a number of courses which has helped her…She is hoping to get help and change her ways and not have the lifestyle she has had for three years. When she has appeared before the court she wants to make amends and lead a law-abiding life. He has been in touch with her while she has been in prison and has been in communication with her family.
“He says he wants to support her if she wants to put in the time to lead a law-abiding life. Her family are supporting her throughout this…They have accommodation for her. They are supporting her and will be there for her when she is released from prison.”
Recorder Gordon jailed Bland for 27 months.