Terrence John Foster, 34, pleaded guilty to stealing from a person and stealing in Nowra Local Court on Friday, December 14.

Court papers said Foster took the woman’s purse while she was sitting in a car breastfeeding her baby in Egans Lane car park in the Nowra CBD around 12.30pm on Wednesday, December 12.

Police said the 36-year-old woman was holding the four-week-old baby, when Foster approached her vehicle and reached in through the partially opened door and stole her wallet.

The woman called for help and two members of the public allegedly chased Foster, before alerting two plainclothes police officers who were in the area.

Officers said while they chased Foster he was seen going through the wallet and threw a number of coins away.

He was arrested a short time later in possession of the wallet.

During an interview he told officers he had stolen the wallet because he had spent all his money playing the poker machines at the nearby Bridge Tavern Hotel.

Foster also faces a charge of stealing following an incident in which he took a wallet and loose change from a Holden Commodore parked at the rear of Domino’s Pizza in Haigh Street, Nowra just after 4.30pm on December 11.

Court papers said the incident was captured on CCTV footage, with Foster seen leaving the car with a wallet, which he dropped near the front of the vehicle after discovering it had no money in it.

Police said he took around $10 in loose change from the vehicle, which he told police “he needed to buy a drink.”

Foster was refused bail by registrar Craig Cockburn on December 13.

Court papers revealed Foster has a lengthy criminal record and had only been released from jail on November 30.

Magistrate Fleming sentenced Foster to 18 months’ jail with a non-parole period of 12 months.

Read more: Court/Crime