A ROBBER who dragged a woman along the ground while trying to steal her handbag has been sentenced to eight years behind bars.

Reuel Mitchell, of Malham Road, Forest Hill, pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, one count of handling stolen goods and one count of assault to resist arrest.

He was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on February 23.

The robberies took place between July 16 and 19 last year, where 27-year-old Mitchell and another man approached victims in a stolen silver Rav4.

Unemployed Mitchell got out of the vehicle and robbed the victims while the other man waited in the car.

One of the robberies involved a woman being dragged along the floor while she tried to hold onto her handbag.

Mitchell was arrested on July 19 last year in Canadian Avenue, Catford, after police saw him driving the stolen silver Rav4.

On seeing the police, Mitchell tried to avoid being arrested by driving off and ran over a police officer's foot.

Detective Inspector James Pryde, head of Lewisham police's robbery squad, said: "We hope that this sentence sends out a clear message to all those who commit robberies in Lewisham Borough, that you will be pursued through the criminal justice system.

"This was a fine piece of work by the officers involved and keeping Mitchell off the streets for eight years helps to make Lewisham a safer place to live."