A “disgusting” female thief twice targeted an 86-year-old dementia sufferer pushing her way into his house, violently struggling with him and robbing him of his wallet.
Callous Lynn Stewart was seen on CCTV grabbing frail pensioner William Carver’s wallet from his back pocket and counting out the cash in front of the distraught victim.
The 45-year-old robber now faces a lengthy prison sentence after Sheriff Richard Davidson described the CCTV footage shown in court as “some of the most sad circumstances” he has ever seen.
Police also described the footage as making them “sick to their stomach”, Dundee Sheriff Court heard.
Stewart was a family friend of Mr Carver but his family installed security cameras in his hallway after neighbours said she had been repeatedly seen visiting his house.
Weeks later neighbours said she had again been seen at the door but Mr Carver’s condition meant he couldn’t remember any incident having taken place.
The family reviewed the CCTV footage and discovered the first of two horrifying incidents captured by the camera.
The disturbing footage, shown in court, shows Stewart turning up at Mr Carver’s door and initially being allowed in.
But shortly after, as she goes to leave the house, she begins struggling with him, restraining him as she rifles through his pocket, picking out his wallet and taking cash before making off.
Family members later found a second, even more disturbing incident showing her pushing her way into the home as Mr Carver tried to hold the door shut.
After a prolonged struggle she managed to pull his wallet from his back pocket, before brazenly counting the cash out in front of him.
Mr Carver is then seen looking out of his door as Stewart made off.
Depute fiscal Trina Sinclair told the court that Mr Carver had been left “extremely distressed” by the robberies.
Stewart, of Buttars Loan, Dundee, admitted two charges of assault and robbery committed on June 10 and June 15 last year.
Solicitor advocate Jim Laverty said: “She has accepted all along that the court’s view on this will be to take this very seriously and it will most probably result in a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Davidson deferred sentence until April 13 for social work background reports and allowed Stewart’s bail to continue.