A thug who left a pensioner needing 40 stitches to her face as he stole her handbag just before Christmas last year has been convicted of robbery.

Saturnin Barwinski, 24, of no fixed abode, attacked 72-year-old Joanne Weaver in Hartington Close, Sudbury, on December 20, 2011, as she made her way home from a night out at approximately 10.30pm.

As he hit her from behind and knocked her to the ground, she hit her head off the pavement and suffered serious facial injuries – including a fracture to the bridge of her nose.

Mrs Weaver said that she was “very pleased” that the thug, who had denied the robbery but pleaded guilty to three others in Barnet and Ealing, was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court yesterday.

The only lead officers had to investigate was the first four letters of the number plate of a car, seen by a witness, which sped down the road towards Mrs Weaver moments before the attack.

When police arrested Barwinski three days later after a similar attack on a woman in Notting Hill, he was driving a car that matched the number plate letters from Mrs Weaver’s attack.

Mrs Weaver added: “Justice has been done and he won’t have the chance to do this to any other person.

“This could have easily have been a fatal attack and myself and my family will be attending court when the sentence is passed.

“I wish to thank the Metropolitan Police and in particular the investigating officer, who has been fantastic throughout.”

Sergeant Tony McGovern, of Harrow Crime Squad, said Barwinski, who will be sentenced at a later date, was “a danger to the public”.

He added: “This is an excellent result at court today. This was a long and protracted investigation.

“Barwinski targeted particularly vulnerable people. He used violence as his first course of action and has put people in fear.”