A FRIGHTENED woman pleaded with a Halesowen robber not to take her necklaces that belonged to her late mother when she was mugged on her way to a shop.

But Arun Hudin ignored her pleas and threatened to hurt her, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 22-year-old snatched the gold necklaces from around the woman’s neck after she got out of her friend’s car to visit a shop.

He also grabbed the car keys belonging to the friend, leaving them stranded, but was later arrested by police and bailed.

While on bail he became involved in a confrontation with youths and, after leaving the scene, returned with a fake gun, which he passed off as real and waved it in front of a young man.

Hudin, of Masters Lane, admitted two charges of robbery and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Jailing him for six years and one month, judge Martin Walsh told him if a police response unit had been called when he was waving the fake gun around he could have been shot.

Joanne Wallbanks, prosecuting, said Hudin had a number of previous convictions for offences including robbery and assault and battery.

Dean Kershaw, defending, said the weapon was a BB gun and Hudin accepted his actions had caused fear to the young man.

Mr Kershaw said: “He had been chased by a group of young men. He then decided he had just had enough. He went back to say enough is enough.”

The court heard the necklaces were not valuable, but their sentimental worth was “immense” because they belonged to her later mother.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said the robbery had left her frightened to leave the house and very angry.