A CRACK cocaine addict armed with a knife targeted a mum in a supermarket car park while she was with her four-month-old baby.

Charlie Anderson got into the rear of her Land Rover Discovery outside Asda in Bull Hill Road, Clacton, in broad daylight in January and forced the petrified victim to drive him to a pub two minutes away.

He then demanded £150 and the woman’s phone as she pleaded with him not to hurt her child.

When they got to the pub, Anderson told her to drive away and she went directly to the police station.

Anderson had targeted her because she was wearing nice clothes and had an expensive car, the court heard.

CCTV picked him up dropping the woman’s phone down a drain which was later recovered and he was arrested the next day.

In his interview he initially denied having anything to do with the offence, but eventually admitted charges of possession of a bladed article and robbery.

The 24-year-old has previous convictions for similar offences and also admitted breaching a suspended sentence order for dangerous driving.

Judge Timothy Walker said Anderson was a dangerous offender and jailed him for five years and ten months with an extended licence period of three years.

“You targeted a vulnerable mother and child, attempting to steal money from them in order to fund your drug habit,” he said.

“You had a weapon and held it in your hand.

“I have not doubt the victim would have been terrified.”

Judge Walker said admissions that Anderson, of no fixed address, had continued to take drugs in prison, mainly synthetic cannabis substance spice, made matter worse.

Gavin Burrell, mitigating, said Anderson had a difficult childhood and could barely remember the incident because of his drug use.

“His recollection is skewed by drugs,” he said.

“There is no suggestion he made any direct threats with the knife nor was he waving it around as he was demanding money.

“The sole purpose of the robbery was to get money in order to buy more drugs.”