Police have condemned a cowardly mugger who assaulted and robbed a pensioner on Saturday afternoon.
The 79-year-old woman was walking down Caldrum Terrace to visit her 87-year-old sister-in-law at Bonnethill Gardens sheltered housing complex when she was attacked at around 2.25pm.
A man grabbed her handbag and knocked her to the ground before running westwards in Main Street towards Strathmartine Road. His victim sustained injuries to her face, hands and knees. She was treated by paramedics at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
Her attacker was wearing a yellow hooded top and dark jogging bottoms or jeans.
The woman was still too upset to talk to the press at the weekend but Detective Constable Jed Lesslie from Tayside Police described the incident as “terrible” and said her injuries could have been much worse.
“She was quite fortunate,” he said. “She didn’t require hospital treatment and paramedics were able to patch her up at the scene. She is now resting up at home she is quite a frail lady.”
Anyone who was in the area at the time and has information that could assist police with their inquiries should contact them on 0300 111 2222 or speak to any officer.
Coldside councillor Jimmy Black said, “The individual who perpetrated this attack obviously has no self-respect. He needs taken off the streets and severely re-educated and enabled to confront his drug problem or whatever it is that would make him do such a despicable thing.
“It is the sort of crime that makes people frightened to come out of their houses and I hope the police are able to catch this individual swiftly and deal with him in a very severe way.”
Saturday’s incident is the second time in just over a month that a 79-year-old has been targeted by a mugger in Dundee.
In January David Campbell was robbed by 28-year-old drug addict James Devlin after he had withdrawn £200 from the cash machine at Tesco Express in Brook Street, Broughty Ferry.
Devlin was turned into police by his own family after he confessed to the crime in a phone call to his sister. However, he avoided jail after promising to repay the money and submit to regular drug testing.
After the verdict Mr Campbell said he hoped his attacker was “able to turn his life around.”