A man and a woman who robbed a man visiting a prostitute at knifepoint have been found guilty by a jury at Dundee Sheriff Court.
In the fifth and final day of the trial Christopher Wilkie, 24, c/o HMP Perth, was found guilty of assault and robbery by a unanimous verdict.
Co-accused prostitute Nicola Rennie, 23, c/o HMP Edinburgh, was found guilty of the same charge by a majority of the jury, some of whom wept when the verdict was delivered.
The court heard that on August 2 the victim had been out drinking with friends and afterwards went to the address of a girl he had found on a website, called Tara who was in fact Rennie.
He agreed to pay her £80 for sex after which, the court heard, a man came in and demanded money by putting a knife to his throat.
Rennie was said to have taken the man’s wallet from him and gone into the kitchen, where she removed his money before returning the empty wallet.
The court also heard that Rennie was apologetic to the victim at some points during the ordeal.
In her closing statement to the jury, depute fiscal Trina Sinclair said the victim was able to pick Wilkie from a line-up of 12 men as the one who had held a knife to his throat.
Police evidence revealed the knife was found under Rennie’s mattress at the address on Arbroath Road where the crime took place.
The victim was the main witness but also crucial to the Crown case was the evidence of a man who said Wilkie and Rennie had turned up at his door together in the early hours of the morning before the incident.
Miss Sinclair told the court how Wilkie had said: “Can I borrow a blade off you? I’m away to rob a wee junkie,” while Rennie had asked if the pair could come inside.
Wilkie’s defence was mistaken identity while Rennie’s defence agent argued she had merely been there and had tried to stop the worst of the attack. However, both these arguments were not accepted by the jury.
After the verdict Sheriff Richard Davidson looked at the previous convictions for the pair.
Ann Johnston, the solicitor representing Wilkie, said he was in a “revolving door of custody” and had only been out of jail for three months at the time of the robbery.
Addressing Wilkie, Sheriff Davidson said: “It is pretty plain looking at your record you are a danger to the public.
“You have convictions for assault to severe injury, housebreaking and, in one incident, the person was assaulted to the danger of his life.
“You will be remanded in custody and you can expect a pretty lengthy custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Davidson granted Rennie bail, partly to enable her to look after her ill mother and spend her final days with her.
He told her she must cooperate with a women’s mentoring programme and said: “What you have been found guilty of is involving yourself with a robbery at knifepoint. I am looking for a high level of cooperation if you are to avoid a custodial sentence.”
He deferred sentence to obtain criminal justice social work reports on the pair. Rennie was granted bail while Wilkie was remanded in custody until January 15.
The sheriff also thanked the jury, whom he said had performed an arduous task in a case which was at times distressing.