An armed robber who took part in a violent raid on an elderly couple in their home was jailed for five years and four months.
Liam Scott and two accomplices attacked and trussed up their victims and ransacked their bungalow in Dumfries before escaping with jewellery worth more than £50,000 and about £14,000 in cash.
A judge told Scott, 26, at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday: “This was a terrifying invasion and the violence used against the obviously vulnerable couple was serious.”
Lady Scott said the victims Terrence McKie, 79, and his wife Astrid, 78, remain badly affected by the events of August 18, 2019.
She told Scott that he would have faced a sentence of eight years if he had not pleaded guilty.
Scott earlier admitted that while acting with others he seized hold of Terrence and repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a baton, demanded money and bound his arms and legs with cable ties to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.
He also admitted seizing hold of Astrid, pushing her against a wall, demanding money, removing rings from her fingers and binding her legs and arms and robbing the couple of money, jewellery, a phone and a CCTV hard drive.
Advocate depute Angela Gray said: “An ex-partner of the accused... gave a statement to the police to the effect that the accused had told her he was responsible for the robbery, along with two others, and that he had jewellery from the robbery he was ‘trying to get rid of’.”
Scott, who has previous convictions for housebreaking and violence, was arrested in September last year while at Stranraer police station in relation to another matter.
