A man who knocked over an elderly Leven pensioner and wrestled two bags from her grasp as she walked home from the shops has been jailed for 20 months.
Appearing via video link at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Colin Clark, 47, described as a prisoner at Perth, admitted robbing 79-year-old Mary MacLean of two shopping bags and their contents by forcibly grabbing them, causing her to fall to the ground, in Nairn Street on November 3 this year.
Mrs MacLean tried to cling on to her shopping while lying on the cold pavement until her younger assailant eventually managed to tear it from her hands and run off.
Sheriff James Williamson noted that the offence was Clark’s third conviction for robbery and said there was no other alternative that a 20-month custodial sentence.
Fiscal Ronnie Hay told the court how Mrs MacLean left her home at around 8.20am to go to the shops in Leven’s Riverside Retail Park, and arrived around about 25 minutes later.
After buying some items from Home Bargains and B&M which she put in her shopping bags, Mrs MacLean then walked towards Aitken Street and then on to a footpath in Nairn Street.
It was at this point she was aware of someone trying to grab her bags from behind, Mr Hay revealed.
“This caused her to fall to the ground and when on the ground, the accused continued to grab and pull the bags, subsequently releasing it from her grasp,” he added.
Mr Hay added that Mrs MacLean suffered no injuries but was badly shaken, although she had the wherewithal to go into a local bakers and tell staff she had been robbed.
She was able to provide a description of the man to police, who were able to check CCTV and identify Clark as the man responsible.
Defence solicitor Dewar Spence said his client was unusual in the fact he hadn’t turned to crime until later on in life, but had fallen into drug use after work dried up for him.
“Mr Clark’s position is, quite simply, that it was an act of desperation,” Mr Spence noted.
Mr Spence added that his client’s position was that he actually tried to stop Mrs MacLean from falling over after grabbing her belongings, but said his client was “realistic” in what sentence he should expect given his record.
Sheriff Williamson backdated the 20 month sentence he imposed on Clark to when he first appeared in custody for the offence in November.
