Drug addict jailed after stealing £500 from woman at ATM in Inverness
A woman was robbed of £500 as she withdrew cash from an Inverness ATM to send abroad to her son.
Heroin addict Dean Barclay watched his victim as she placed the bank card in the ATM outside the Merkinch Post Office on March 11.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard he crossed the road, grabbed the woman's wrists, forcibly pulled her hands from her pocket to get hold of the cash, saying to her: "Give me the money. It is my money, I need it."
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Passers-by heard the woman scream: "That's not your money. It's my son's."
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald heard that there was a brief struggle and 37-year-old Barclay, described as an Inverness prisoner, then made off towards Telford Road.
The incident was captured on CCTV, Barclay was identified and arrested but the money was never recovered.
Defence solicitor advocate Clare Russell said a social worker had recommended a drug treatment and testing assessment while another who prepared a background report contradicted that, suggesting a custodial sentence.
She added: "He commits crime to purchase substances."
Sheriff Macdonald said she was ruling out drug treatment and told Barclay it was up to him to beat his addiction, having been placed on a treatment order previously. She jailed him for two years, backdated to March 14.
She added: "This was an appalling offence where you carried out an assault and robbery on a woman who was going about her business.
"It was frightening for her, vile behaviour and distressing. You have many offences for violence and dishonesty and only a custodial sentence is appropriate."
