I walloped mugger in face: Hull mum fought man who grabbed bag

A Hull mum has told how she cooly fought off a would-be robber ... by punching him in the face.

Kathryn Corlyon, 28, was on her way to work when a man, whose face was covered with a scarf, slapped her across the face and tried to grab her handbag.

But she showed him he had picked the wrong victim, when she turned around and hit him in the face.

Her attacker, who struck near the entrance to King George's Playing Field in Cottingham Road, west Hull, fled empty-handed.

Kathryn said: "He pulled at my handbag from behind, so I just spun round and walloped him.

"It was a left-handed punch, so I thought it might have been a bit weak, but he seemed really taken aback.

"I don't really know what was going through my mind, it was just an instant reaction.

"A lot of my friends have said, 'Good on you' when I told them.

"My mum probably would have done the same thing too – we're both pretty feisty."

Humberside Police have commended Kathryn's actions, describing her as "extremely brave".

But the mum-of-one is a pro when it comes to would-be thieves, having previously fought off an attacker in the Midlands.

She said: "About five years ago I was living in Wolverhampton.

"I was on my own and walking down near a canal – it was a pretty dodgy area.

"A tramp grabbed at my handbag, but I kept hold of it and swung it at him.

"It didn't put me off walking alone, but I did start taking a different route."

The attack in Hull happened last Thursday at about 6.50am.

Kathryn was walking to work when she spotted a man in his late teens heading towards her.

She said: "He was wearing a scarf up to his nose and gloves.

"I didn't think anything of it and it didn't strike me as worrying because it has been quite cold at that time in the morning.

"He walked past me and as he did so he brushed past my shoulder.

"He got to just past my shoulder on the side my handbag was.

"He reached out and grabbed the strap of my bag, but I had hold of it as well.

"He pulled me back and I stumbled, then we struggled for a minute and he slapped me across the face.

"Then I just turned round and hit him.

"He ran off one way so I ran off towards work, but I started walking again when I realised he had gone."

The would-be robber had a skinny build and brown or hazel eyes and mousey-brown hair.

He was wearing a blue hooded jumper with the hood up, dark tracksuit bottoms with white stripes down the sides and elasticated cuffs, black woollen gloves and a dark scarf.

Kathryn believes he may have planned the attack, as his scarf was pushed up to cover his face.

She said: "He was wearing all dark clothes which, on reflection, is probably what you would wear if you wanted to rob someone.

"He was clearly from here, or had lived here a while, because he had a Hull accent.

"I think he probably did plan it – it is a busy road but there aren't that many people around at that time in the morning."

She says the handbag had little of monetary value in, but her phone had four year's worth of pictures of her son.

She said: "My first thought was just, 'I'm not letting you have my bag – it cost £70.'

"I didn't have a lot of money in it – just a bit of change, my phone and my work shoes.

"If he had pulled a weapon on me, I wouldn't have done what I did.

"I was shaken a bit at first, and I burst into tears when I thought about what happened, but I'm fine now."

Detective Inspector Simon Henrickson, of Humberside Police, is appealing for witnesses to come forward.

He said: "I must commend the victim, who has been extremely brave stopping the suspect from taking her bag in what must have been a very frightening incident.

"This type of offence is uncommon, particularly at this time of day.

"There must have been numerous people on their way to work at the time of the offence and I would ask anyone who saw this incident to come forward."

Anyone who witnessed the attempted mugging should call 101 referring to log 86 of October 4 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

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