A CONVICTED killer who mugged an elderly woman at knifepoint has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Preston Crown Court was told the mugging would probably have remained unsolved had John Greenwood not made the confession at a hospital, where he had been taken after trying to hang himself a month later.

Greenwood, 30, of Heaton Street, Blackburn, was jailed for five and a half years in June 1997 for manslaughter and causing a child under 14 to be neglected.

He admitted robbing Phyliss Bradley of her handbag on July 10 this year and also asked for an offence of theft of a DVD and portable TV on March 30 this year to be taken into consideration.

Charles Brown, prosecuting, said Mrs Bradley was a retired elderly lady who had gone out to obtain currency for a holiday and had £300 in her handbag.

Greenwood jumped in front of her and said:"Give me your bag or I'll knife you."

He was holding a small kitchen knife with a blade four or five inches long but Mrs Bradley refused.

Greenwood pushed her causing to the ground and she screamed for help. He put the knife near her throat and Mrs Bradley thought she was going to be stabbed.

Mr Brown said Mrs Bradley now had difficulty sleeping and was fearful of going out on her own. She had sustained bruising to her thigh and lip and her confidence had been knocked.

Richard English, defending, said Greenwood accepted he had hurt Mrs Bradley mentally and physically and was "sorry and utterly contrite."