A man who threatened a woman with a spanner outside a Bradford launderette forcing her to hand over the keys to her £10,000 car, has been jailed for three-and-a half-years.

Daniel Hall, 26, pleaded guilty to robbery when he appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard how Hall, who has mild learning difficulties and can be easily led because he does what he is told, had approached the victim outside the launderette in Sticker Lane, Bradford, shortly before 3pm on April 29 this year.

Hall, who was picked out from an ID parade by his victim, had been with another man at the time the woman was threatened but no-one else has been brought to justice.

The woman, whose self-confidence was shattered by the ordeal, was forced against a wall in the incident and repeatedly told to hand over her car keys, the court was told.

Hall, of Brownlee Lane, Wilsden, pressed his arm against her chest and neck as he held the spanner up against her and as she opened her handbag the other man grabbed her purse. Both men then ran off to her car.

The victim went back into the launderette and told them she had been robbed. The car was found later. As well as the purse, which had £100 and bank cards in it, other items taken from the car included sunglasses, a pair of leather driving gloves and a cheque book. Since the robbery the woman, described by Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC as a professional person and “a very decent lady” has found it hard to focus and has had to work from home.

The court also heard that although Hall has never been convicted for robbery before he did have 22 other previous convictions to his name.

Judge Durham Hall said: “This is a very decent lady, doing a thing we all do – taking her car to the launderette – and two of you set upon her. She was terrified and you used force against her and threatened her with a spanner.

“This is a bad street robbery.”