Teen narrowly avoids custody at Inverness Sheriff Court after snatching OAP woman's bag on city's Market Brae Steps
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A TEEN who left a 70-year-old OAP shaken after snatching her bag has avoided being locked up for the crime.
But 18-year-old old Sol Kelly was warned by Sheriff Gary Aitken that if he does not complete 250 hours of unpaid community work within six months "it is almost inevitable a custodial sentence will be imposed".
He was also placed under a year's social work supervision.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told today that Kelly, who lived in the city's Eilean Donan Road at the time, may have had a gambling problem which could have been the motive for the offence, but could offer no explanation why he robbed the pensioner.
Kelly's victim had been in Inverness on Sunday, March 31 and was walking up Market Brae Steps to return to her car.
He was sitting on a step wearing a hoodie, and the pensioner, who was carrying a handbag containing £100, bank cards and keys, smiled at him.
But he grabbed her hand-bag and, at the second attempt, wrenched it free from her grasp, sending her crashing against a wall before she fell to the ground.
Kelly ran off with the elderly woman shouting: "Stop, thief. He's got my bag."
Fiscal depute Niall Macdonald said that one member of the public tried to stop him but Kelly broke free, only to be restrained by three other men who had come to her assistance.
Police arrived shortly afterwards, the handbag was recovered and Kelly was arrested. Mr Macdonald added: "The woman was very shaken by the experience."
Defence solicitor Willie Young said his client had no previous convictions and acknowledged it was "a very serious matter".
Mr Young went on: "He has not offered any explanation but gambling was perhaps an issue at this point in his life. It was not planned and simply opportunistic. He is deeply ashamed of the effect this has had on the woman."
Sheriff Aitken had deferred sentence for a background report and told Kelly, who now lives in East Kilbride: "This is an appalling offence. You should be as appalled as I am.
"This was a dreadful offence against anyone, never mind a 70-year-old woman and the shock and distress it must have caused her.
"You need to take a hard look at what you want to do with your life. Do you want to be a good member of the community or be caught in the revolving door of court appearances and custody?
"If you don't comply with this order, or you ever do anything similar, I can assure you there will be an extended custodial sentence," the sheriff added.
