Mugger jailed after robbing pensioner at bank

A mugger who followed his 89-year old victim on buses and watched him as he used a bank ATM, has been jailed for two years and placed on a supervised release order for 12 months.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today 48-year old Ian Paterson, a prisoner in Saughton, was told by Sheriff James Scott: “I don’t need to tell you how serious this is. A man aged 89 has had his life changed by you”.

Paterson was found guilty after trial of repeatedly following William Drummond, now aged 90, on December 20 last year. The two men were on a Lothian bus, and Paterson followed Mr Drummond, who walks with a stick, when he got off the bus in Newington Road and went to an ATM at a branch of Santander Bank. Mr Drummond then boarded another bus and was followed on by Paterson. When the elderly pensioner got off in Grange Road so did Paterson.

The mugger came up behind his victim, placed a hand over his eyes and removed his spectacles. He then demanded money.

Mr Drummond told him he did not have any and had only used the ATM to check his balance. Paterson began searching through Mr Drummond’s pockets and in a struggle, Mr Drummond was injured.

Given the gravity of the offence, said Sheriff Scott, only a custodial sentence was appropriate and that sentence was one of two years.

Sheriff Scott added: ”To protect the public from serious harm on your release there will be a supervised release order for 12 months”.

Paterson’s defence solicitor, Caroline Kwek told Sheriff Scott her client accepted the attack must have been horrendous for his victim.

The sentence was backdated to November 13 last year when Paterson was remanded in custody.