A woman who bit her victim’s hand before snatching £200 and legging it has been given an ‘exceptional’ sentence when she appeared in court.

Samantha Duffy drew blood when she clamped down on the woman’s hand moments after she had withdrawn some money from a cashpoint.

The 36-year-old’s attack was caught on CCTV where she could be seen jostling the victim before twice biting her hand to get her to release the cash.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Duffy was under the influence of drugs at the time of the robbery at 6.15am on Friday, September 30, outside Sheila's shop in Hemlington.

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Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said: “She went into the shop to withdraw £10, she was already in possession of £190, as she left the shop, she was approached by the defendant who grabbed her and tried to grab the £200 out of her hand.

“She resisted and tried to close her grip around the money, the defendant has then bitten down with her teeth and drawn blood.

“She bit down a second time and this was much harder and the defendant then managed to grab the money and walk away.”

Duffy, of Ainthorpe, Road, Eston, near Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to a single charge of robbery.

Victoria Lamballe, in mitigation, said her client wrongly believed that the victim had been involved in an arson attack on her home where she lost highly significant personal possessions.

She added: “Whatever these issues are, she accepts this was a distasteful piece of behaviour and made worse by the use of biting.”

Miss Lamballe said her client had struggled throughout her life and had been unable to access her medication at the time of the offence due to the fire at her home.

Judge Howard Crowson told the defendant he had taken the highly unusual decision not to send her immediately to prison and issued her with a suspended sentence.

He said: “It’s quite an exceptional act I’m doing here - it’s unusual. You must ensure that you do not breach it.

“In fact, if you do breach it there will be no other alternative and I will reserve it to me.

“If you breach the terms of the sentence, I will realise that I was wrong and you will go to prison.”

Duffy was sentenced to two years in custody suspended for two years.

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