A heartless sneak thief has been jailed for concentrating on two aged girls and a disabled man whereas excessive on valium. Tracey Elliott tricked her manner into the Edinburgh dwelling of a person in his 40s with extreme studying difficulties by pretending to want a glass of water.
The 44-year-old then tried to seize a pockets from the sufferer’s trouser pocket earlier than fleeing. Elliott additionally conned her manner right into a pensioner’s dwelling by pretending to want a drink earlier than stealing money.
She was caught after the sufferer’s indignant neighbours pursued her via the streets and restrained her for police. Elliott appeared from custody on the metropolis's sheriff court docket on Tuesday and pled responsible to a few fees.
Fiscal depute Janet MacDonald mentioned Elliott referred to as on the door of the person with studying difficulties - whom she didn’t know - within the metropolis's Niddrie space. Ms McDonald mentioned she requested for a drink and the kindly sufferer supplied to get her one.
The court docket heard he turned spherical in his kitchen to seek out Elliott standing there and he or she tried to succeed in into his pocket to steal a pockets. Elliott ran off empty-handed following the tried theft at 11.30am on July 1.
Fifteen minutes later, the court docket was instructed Elliott got here to the door of a 77-year-old lady and claimed she’d been “battered”. Ms McDonald mentioned the pensioner went to get her a glass of water and Elliott got here inside the house regardless of being requested to attend on the entrance door.
The prosecutor mentioned Elliott was given a bottle of water however stole a plastic tub containing round £20 of free change. After Elliott left, the sufferer alerted neighbours who chased and caught her till cops arrived.
On yesterday, Elliott sneaked into the house of a 72-year-old lady within the metropolis’s Craigmillar space. Ms McDonald mentioned the lady returned after leaving her dwelling for 5 minutes to seek out Elliott in her kitchen.
Elliott - who instructed the lady “you’ve acquired a pleasant wee flat right here” - stole the sufferer’s purse.
Defence agent Murray Robertson conceded his consumer’s offences had been “despicable” and “mean-spirited”.
Mr Robertson mentioned Elliott had been staying in homeless lodging in Edinburgh and was described as being “out her face” on valium.
Elliott admitted three counts of getting into a house with out invitation, twice stealing property and as soon as trying to steal a pockets.
Sheriff John Cook dinner jailed Elliott for 326 days, telling her she’d intentionally focused “susceptible” victims in their very own houses.
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