A TEENAGE drug addict held a knife to an elderly woman's head in her own home and demanded money.
Kerr Dickson, 19, broke into the ground-floor flat of 84-year-old Marjorie Mills, who is partially deaf and uses a walking stick.
Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie today branded it an "absolutely shocking" attack on the pensioner.
Dickson pleaded guilty
at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today – his 19th birthday – to assaulting Ms Mills with intent to rob her at her home in Colinton Mains on September 1 last year.
Dickson, of Oxgangs Avenue, Edinburgh, was taken into custody ahead of sentencing next month.
The court was told Ms Mills had woken to hear her front door being kicked in around 10pm and had got up and put on trousers.
Dickson appeared in the room moments later, switching on the light, and brandished a craft knife in her face and began shouting "give me the money, where's the money?"
The pensioner told Dickson her money was in the bank and he demanded her bank details, which she refused.
She escaped through the back door after Dickson went into the living room, and managed to alert neighbours who had heard her screams.
Dickson was seen walking down the path and was later found in the Stenhouse area slumped in a car with a craft knife.
He initially denied attacking Ms Mills and said he had been in another part of the city after an argument with his girlfriend.
But his fingerprint was found at the scene and he was arrested.
Ms Mills, who lived alone, had been "independent and sprightly" despite suffering arthritis, but had become "vulnerable", the court was told.
Stephen Knowles, defending, said Dickson had managed to kick his heroin habit since the assault.
Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie said: "This was an absolutely shocking episode and I trust that you are completely ashamed of yourself, it's outrageous.
"In view of the nature of this offence I am afraid that bail is refused."
The full article contains 341 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
