A woman was left with a broken wrist after being pushed over at a cashpoint by a robber.
The victim was taking out £20 when when Paul McIver, who had been loitering behind her, suddenly shoved her over.
She fell to the ground and immediately felt an "excruciating" pain in her wrist, which was fractured and needed surgery.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 41-year-old stole money the woman had just withdrawn at Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring, as well as her debit card, before he ran off.
McIver, who has convictions for 132 previous offences on his record, was later identified from CCTV.
Prosecutor Claire Anderson said despite her painful ordeal in February, the victim has a "lenient" attitude towards her attacker.
Miss Anderson told the court: "She said if he asked her for some money she would have given him it and he must have been in a desperate state in order to commit this offence."
McIver, of Edwin Street, Houghton-le-Spring, who was on a suspended sentence imposed five days earlier, admitted robbery on the basis he owed money to drug dealers who had threatened to petrol bomb his mother's home.
The court heard McIver has been the subject of violent attacks in the past, including being stabbed on four occasions and being left with broken bones.
Recorder Shakil Najib sentenced him to 30 months behind bars and activated ten weeks from a previous suspended jail term.
The judge told him: "You waited until you saw the opportunity and then you pushed her to the ground, took the £20 along with her bank card and ran away."
Liam O'Brien, defending, said McIver is "incredibly apologetic" for the injury he caused.
Mr O'Brien added: "He had a genuine problem at the relevant time with drug dealers.
"It doesn't excuse what he did, he made a terrible decision but it was a decision taken in circumstances most of us never, ever have to deal with."
