A robber who used imitation guns to terrorise and steal from vulnerable women victims has been jailed for more than seven years.

A blind woman and a pensioner were among shop customers confronted by Richard Fearn, 33.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Fearn, of Ivy Bank, Wyke, Bradford, had been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment in 1999 for four knifepoint robberies at commercial premises, with more than 40 similar offences taken into consideration.

Jailing him for seven years and two months yesterday, Judge Jonathan Rose told him: “You determined the easiest way to gain criminal funds was to seek out vulnerable victims, and put them in terror while you took their money.

“These are grave offences. The sentence I impose has to be punitive and deter you and others who think that vulnerable victims such as these represent easy pickings, and show that when you are detected the courts will protect the public from men like you. You are a determined criminal and your crimes are planned and serious.”

Prosecutor Claire Larton told the court Fearn went into the Cash For Gold shop – owned by TV antiques dealer Tim Hogarth – and demanded money from manager Amanda Ryan. He was hooded, had a scarf over his face and held up a bag, containing a silver circular tube with a fin on the top which had the appearance of a gun.

Miss Ryan handed over a box containing £2,100. But as he left the shop, customer Pauline Crook, 61, grabbed his coat. There was a struggle, during which she suffered a cut finger and bruising, before he escaped.

The second robbery was at Beauty Revolution, in Huddersfield Road, Wyke, when Fearn used a toy gun to threaten salon boss Caroline Turner and two female customers, one of whom was blind. The women handed over money from their handbags.

Fearn pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery and two of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery. He also admitted burglary at the Brown Cow pub in Wyke, in January 2011, and theft of fuel from a compound, in June 2010. Fearn also asked for ten burglaries and 14 thefts to be taken into consideration.

His barrister, Stephen Wood, mitigating said the imitation weapons were to frighten and not injure.