A Perth man who assaulted and robbed a 73-year-old woman in a city centre street has been jailed for 20 months.
Scott Bannaghan, 35, became embroiled in a tug of war with the pensioner as he tried to force a handbag from her grasp. His victim screamed at Bannaghan to stop as he pulled her off her feet and made off with the bag.
His victim was in the company of her 78-year-old sister at the time of the assault.
The pair were walking back to their car on Kinnoull Causeway at about 1.55pm on Saturday December 20 when Bannaghan struck.
The complainer was carrying her handbag in her left hand when she felt it being grabbed and turned to see the accused attempting to snatch it with both hands.
The pensioner let out a loud scream and tried to prevent the accused taking the bag from her grasp by using both hands to hold on to it.
The accused then forced the handbag from her grasp, causing her to fall to the ground, grazing her knee, where she continued to scream at Bannaghan to stop.
Witnesses saw the accused run off with the handbag while being chased by the complainer and her sister, before discarding the bag and its contents.
When one of the sisters caught up with the accused and challenged him, he denied any wrongdoing and walked away.
The complainer, who attended Perth Royal Infirmary because she felt unwell and traumatised after the incident, discovered her purse was missing.
Bannaghan told police that he committed the offence for money as his girlfriend had been cut off from her methadone.
Asked why he had targeted the woman, he said: “I don’t know, they just walked past, down the street.”
He later admitted: “I shouldn’t have done it. I just want the woman to get her purse back and say I’m sorry.”
Officers later discovered the purse hidden in a cistern in premises near to the robbery.
Bannaghan admitted assaulting a 73-year-old woman, pulling her to the ground, to her injury, and robbing her of a handbag and contents.
At Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Fiona Tait jailed him for 20 months.