'High-risk' thief free to attack OAPs

Published on Friday 15 July 2011 18:12

A "DESPICABLE" thief who was jailed for robbing elderly women of their belongings had been released from prison five months early, the Evening News can reveal.

Kenneth McLennan was yesterday caged for three years and eight months for pouncing on his frail 84-year-old and 79-year-old victims in daylight attacks just weeks after being released for a similar crime.

In one instance, on March 12, the 45-year-old seized and twisted the arm of the 84-year-old woman in Sciennes Road, before stealing her handbag and shopping, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard.

On the other occasion, on May 17, he seized hold of a 79-year-old woman, struggled with her and robbed her of her handbag and shopping in Grange Loan.

Another offence, a housebreaking, took place at nearby Potterrow in Bristo Square on March 14.

McLennan, who was let out early in mid-February despite being previously labelled as a "very high risk of re-offending" by a city sheriff, had served just five months of a ten-month sentence for breaking into two addresses last September.

The News has learned he was jailed in October for three other offences in the area.

In one he smashed the front window of a home in Grange Road on September 7 and was in the living room when the 87-year-old female owner returned, then made off with 200 in cash and a passbook. Days later, on September 13, an 18-year old woman living in the same road was the victim of a similar break-in, and called police after locking herself in a room.

Four of the five offences took place in The Grange area, just streets from where McLennan himself lived in St Albans Road.

When McLennan was jailed last year, the court heard he was on probation and had two bail orders in connection with other offences, which were not detailed, at the time.

Phyllis Herriot, assistant secretary of the Scottish Pensioners' Forum and a former Justice of the Peace in Edinburgh, described McLennan's crimes as "disgusting", adding that elderly people should be able to walk the streets without fear of assault.

Ms Herriot, said: "The vulnerable and elderly have to be protected. High-risk people like this can't be let out early.

"Hopefully a sentence like this will send a message that this kind of crime is unacceptable."

Yesterday at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, defence agent Elspbeth MacDougall said McLennan had difficulties with alcohol. She said: "He is not an unintelligent man and realises the gravity of the offences. He is appalled and ashamed."

However, Sheriff Deidre MacNeill QC said: "These are despicable offences."

She ordered that McLennan, who has been in custody in Saughton since May 17, serve three years and eight months and be on a supervised release order for two years once he is released.