A man who took part in a brutal raid on an elderly couple in Dumfries was caught after police received intelligence months later linking him to the robbery.
A former partner of Liam Scott gave a statement revealing that he told her he was involved along with others and had jewellery he was “trying to get rid off”.
Scott, 26, and two accomplices made off with more than £50,000 worth of jewellery, including diamond rings, and about £14,000 in cash following the crime.
They targeted the home of Terrence “Ted” McKie, then 78, and his wife Astrid, 77, in the robbery during which the couple were trussed up with cable ties and Mr McKie was beaten with a baton.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that one of the intruders removed five rings from Mrs McKie’s fingers.
Her husband suffered four fractured ribs, internal bleeding, a cut lip and bruising to his face and body in the attack.
Advocate depute Angela Gray said the couple’s home at Irongray Road, in Dumfries, also had a yard for vehicles for their tarmacadam company.
On the evening of August 18 in 2019 Mrs McKie went to bed while her husband stayed up watching TV.
The prosecutor said: “He saw a person pass the living room window. He found this strange as he was not expecting anyone. It was late and people do not tend to pass this area when visiting the house.”
He went to a back door and could see through frosted glass the outline of a figure. Mr McKie checked a CCTV monitor next to the door and saw what looked like one person.
But as he opened the door two men and a woman barged into his home.
They were shouting and swearing and demanding money and the men, who were wearing balaclavas and gloves, dragged him into the living room and repeatedly struck him on the head and body with a wooden baton.
Mr McKie fell to the ground and his arms and ankles were bound with cable ties.
The robbers demanded to know where he kept money and he told them there was cash in a cushion. One of the gang recovered about £5,000 from it.
His wife was wakened by the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom.
Mrs McKie went to investigate and was immediately seized by the neck by one of the masked men, who pushed her against a wall, said the prosecutor.
He aggressively demanded: “Where’s the money?” She was instructed to go into the living room.
Ms Gray said: “Once in the living room Mrs McKie saw her husband lying on the floor with his hands bound and with bruising to his face.
“Mrs McKie saw a second male. He was striking Mr McKie with a baton and asking both Mr and Mrs McKie where they kept money.”
The men were taking pictures and mirrors off walls and demanding to know where a safe was.
Mrs McKie told them there was no safe but revealed that there was money in another cushion and retrieved £7,000 to £8,000 and handed it over. She also showed them a dish in the kitchen which held about £400.
Her hands were tied together and she was put on the floor near her husband. Before leaving one of the men told the couple the police would be called in half an hour.
Mrs McKie managed to free herself and checked on her husband, who needed an ambulance. She noticed that phones in the bungalow had been ripped from their sockets.
She drove to the Lochside Labour and Social Club to seek help and approached, Peter Taylor, and used his phone to call a family member.
Mr Taylor went with her back to her home where he found Mr McKie with facial injuries.
The emergency services were contacted and Mr McKie was taken to hospital in Dumfries.
Ms Gray said: “Although his injuries were described as non-life threatening, any deterioration could have been life-threatening to a gentleman of Mr McKie’s age.
“He was medicated for pain relief and kept in hospital until August 22 in 2019.”
Police conducted numerous enquiries following the robbery but no suspects were initially identified.
But on February 3 last year intelligence was received that Scott was involved and his ex-partner subsequently gave a statement.
He was arrested and telephone information and CCTV from the area of the robbery placed him near the scene at the time.
Scott, a prisoner in Kilmarnock jail, admitted – while acting along with others – assaulting Mr McKie to his severe injury and to the danger of his life and assaulting Mrs McKie and robbing them of money and jewellery when he appeared in court on Friday.
The judge, Lady Scott, deferred sentence on Scott to April 20 at the High Court in Glasgow.
