Robber jailed for attacking former sheriff in his home

A THIEF who attacked and robbed a 91-year-old retired sheriff in his own home has been locked up for three years and two months.

Michael MacKinnon, 26, walked into Sheriff William Hook's home at around 3pm and helped himself to valuables before attacking the pensioner in his living room.

MacKinnon approached Sheriff Hook and covered his head with a cloth and seized hold of his body before demanding he hand over his cash. Sheriff Hook gave him the 5 he had in his pocket but fought back and struggled with the thug across the hallway and into the kitchen.

The pensioner was left with several bruises to his face but declined medical attention.

Passing sentence yesterday, Sheriff Derrick McIntyre told MacKinnon: "What aggravates this offence is not the fact that the victim is a retired sheriff, that is irrelevant, but he was a 91-year-old man living on his own and you assaulted and robbed him in the privacy of his own home at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Elderly citizens are entitled to feel safe in their own homes."

MacKinnon escaped through the conservatory of Sheriff Hook's New Town home and jumped over a fence into the Water of Leith, where the bungling thief had to be rescued by emergency services.

MacKinnon admitted entering the unlocked Moray Place home occupied by Sheriff Hook and stealing a quantity of cufflinks, medals, gold, buttons and tie pins.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting Sheriff Hook.

Both offences happened on 27 January this year.

Defence agent Cameron Tait told the court Mackinnon had turned to drink after losing his job as a labourer on a building site and had been unable to gain further employment.