Article: 'Furious, I pulled back the handbag. Then he punched me in the face hard'; Evening Standard Fight Street Crime: Philippa Haines, 27, was attacked in her car near her home in Brixton. As she tells Gita Mendis, the traumatic experience changed her life.

Byline: GITA MENDIS

A YEAR ago, at about eight o'clock in the evening, I left my flat to go and visit my boyfriend. I took my car, a battered 12-year-old Peugeot 205.

I pulled over at the end of my road to buy a bottle of wine from the off-licence, on Acre Lane in Brixton, a real hotspot for muggings. I dashed across the road, made my purchase and got back into my car, placing my handbag on the passenger seat.

I noticed a man hanging around on the corner, looking dodgy. He then ran across the road, smashed the passenger window and reached in and grabbed my bag. Furious, I pulled back the bag, thinking, "You're not having that - it's mine." I ...

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