Drug addict Wesley Radford, 32, was locked up for four-and-a-half years for the latest offences in a long criminal career.
Who has been sent to prison this month? Pictures gallery and sentences.
He was arrested in January this year after trying to wrestle a woman's handbag from her before driving off in her Citroen Picasso.
Radford, of Cambrai Crescent, Winton, Eccles, pleaded guilty to robbery and shoplifting when he appeared at Manchester Crown Court.
But the court heard the offences followed hundreds of car crimes in Salford, where he stole to help fund his crack cocaine and heroin habit.
In September last year, he appeared in court to plead guilty to theft from a car and asked for 695 offences to be taken into account. He was spared prison and given a six-month suspended sentence but it did not stop his crime spree.
Four months later, he struck as a woman reversed her Citroen Picasso from her driveway and then got out to close the gates.
Radford jumped into the car to steal the woman's handbag and when she wrestled it back from him, he kicked her in the chest before he drove away in the Citroen.
Gammon
He was caught five miles away in Irlam, after stealing nine gammon steaks from a supermarket, Andrew Evans, prosecuting, told the court.
Radford pleaded guilty and asked for a further 45 offences to be taken into consideration - taking his total offences to 740.
While the full value of goods stolen by Radford over the years is unknown, his last 40 thefts alone totalled £7,000, the prosecution said.
Martin Callery, defending, said Radford was a long-term crack and heroin addict, and committed his crimes while either high on drugs, or to fund his next hit.
When sent the documents listing the charges against him, Radford simply wrote the word `sorry' at the bottom, the judge was told.
Mr Callery argued that the defendant was not a danger to the public, and had an upbringing that `mercifully, most people have been spared'.
He said: "He can't carry on like this. If he does, he will incur more, and increasing prison sentences and he will probably kill himself."
Judge Peter Lakin jailed Radford for four-and-a-half years - four for robbery and a further six months for the suspended sentence - and told him: "You subjected the victim to a frightening experience. Car jacking is an increasing problem from which the public must be protected, and courts must take a tough line with such offences.
Who has been sent to prison this month? Pictures gallery and sentences.
"These offences illustrate in very strict terms the extent to which illegal class A drugs lead to serious crime in our society. Because of your addiction to such drugs, you have become a prolific offender and a social menace."
Det Sgt Roger Smethurst said: "Radford was out that morning looking for a vulnerable target.
"When he selected one - a woman who was on her way to work - he set about getting his hands on her property and had no problem lashing out at her when he was challenged.
"Only one thought was in his mind - when he would get his next fix."
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Of Denton, Tameside (16/09/2009 at 09:26)
Cannabis can also become addictive either behaviourally or physiologically for some people leading them to commit crime and take risks in order to maintain their habit. Cannabis also destroys peoples lives by making them not care about themselves or others, it makes them lethargic and passive leading to users losing their jobs or being unable to get a job because they show no motivation, fail to turn up to work on time or fail to perform well at work, and in mechanical industry they may well be putting peoples lives at risk by operating machinary whilst being stoned.
Class B drugs are as destructive as class A drugs it's just that nobody wants to admit it because then they might actually have to do something about ALL illegal drugs and have to stop picking and choosing which drugs to turn a blind eye to and which to go after.