A judge warned that people must feel free to go out in safety at night after he jailed a drunken robber, who grabbed a woman's bag after she left a nightclub.

Joe Baker, 24, had been drinking heavily when he approached the victim, who was having a cigarette with a male friend after they left an Attleborough nightclub in the early hours, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said Baker punched the male in the face and when he went to get help, Baker then turned on the female victim and lunged towards her and pushed her onto a bench before escaping with her bag.

She said she also received a blow to her head but still managed to give chase to Baker and called 999 before he was eventually caught by police in a nearby churchyard.

Mr Youell said the bag was returned to the victim.

In an impact statement she said the robbery had made her now feel nervous about walking home on her own and said she felt annoyed that someone would carry out an offence of this kind and added: 'I used to go out and not worry, but this has changed due to the robbery.'

Baker, of Drakes Close, East Harling, admitted robbery and assault by beating on April 24, this year, and was jailed for 16 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Stephen Holt said that violence of this nature at night was a 'drunken blight' on our towns and cities and said: 'People must feel free and safe when going out at night and incidents like this devalue everyone's life.'

Peter Spary, for Baker, said that he had shown 'bizarre' behaviour that night: 'He has little recollection of what happened. He got completely drunk.'

He added: 'It was a stupid and silly offence.'

He said Baker had acted 'out of character.'