A ‘prolific’ robber who targeted a lone woman and took cash from a McDonald’s has been jailed.

Officers used data from a GPS tag on Ryan Cooney’s leg to prove he had been responsible for the two crimes in Strood over three days last year.

At 2am on August 14, Cooney approached a woman who was walking alone on Commercial Road.

He forcibly pulled a bag from her shoulder and despite the victim’s efforts, he escaped with her belongings.

Two days later, he went into McDonald’s on the same road as his previous crime and made threats towards the staff.

Fearing for their safety, they opened a cash till, and Cooney fled with a quantity of money.

Officers managed to identify Cooney as the offender, and he was arrested on August 17 and charged with two robberies after investigators used evidence provided by the GPS tag on his leg.

Cooney, of Hilltop Road, Strood, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court, and on Wednesday (May 10), the 35-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment.

Detective Constable Ben Slocombe said: “Cooney is a prolific criminal who thought nothing of using violence and threats to achieve his aim of stealing other people’s property.

“His offences, committed whilst on licence from prison, will have a lasting impact on his victims and he should consider this while serving his well-deserved prison sentence.”