A dog walkers sarcasm saved her from being robbed by a knife-wielding man who demanded she hand over her poo bags.
Mark Philip Pelling, 33, approached the woman just after 6am in New Bridge, Whitby, in January 2022, before pulling out a large butcher knife.
He threatened the woman, saying he would stab her dog if she did not hand over her small bag she had around her waist.
Realising the bag contained nothing but dog poo bags and treats, Pelling demanded the woman also hand over her purse.
But she replied: What purse? I haven’t got a purse. Who brings a purse on a dog walk at six in the morning?
Pelling walked away shouting abuse at the woman, and North Yorkshire Police were able to locate him the same day and arrest him.
They found a knife set in his home, with a large black handled butcher-knife missing.
He was jailed at York Crown Court for two years and nine months yesterday.
Detective Constable Sam Rivers, from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said: A serious offender has been brought to justice in this deeply disturbing case.
Credit must be given to the victim whose feeling of safety has naturally been affected by the ordeal.
She is an extremely brave woman and her quick actions to report the crime proved vital.
It allowed us to identify and arrest of the suspect. Key evidence gathered during the investigation forced Pelling’s hand to plead guilty on the first day of his trial.
I hope this outcome provides some comfort to the victim. Whitby is certainly a safer place with Mark Pelling behind bars.
One more knife-point robber is off the streets and, make no mistake, North Yorkshire Police is fully committed to bringing criminals like Pelling to justice.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.