Dad shops teen thug who robbed deaf OAP after spying posts on Facebook

The 17-year-old forced entry to the pensioner’s Morningside home before assaulting and robbing him.

His father contacted police the next day and told them of entries on his son’s social media page which implicated him and a younger accomplice in the cruel crime.

Despite having been freed under two bail orders at the time of the raid, the teenager was released again following his arrest and took part in a robbery at a shop with two others.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted forcing entry to the home in Morningside Drive on October 30 last year, presenting weapons at the victim, punching him and robbing him of money and a computer.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that a 15-year-old accomplice had previously been dealt with for the crime and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

The 17-year-old and two co-accused – Nathan Hannan, 18, and Daniel Greig, 20 – also pleaded guilty to assaulting an employee and robbing him of cigarettes at Gillespie Convenience Store, Gillespie Place, on December 5 last year.

Advocate depute Allan Nicol said that the 72-year-old man, who previously had a heart attack, was in bed when he was confronted by two intruders.

The robbery victim suffered from asthma and anxiety and is partially deaf. He had taken his hearing aids out but woke when his bedroom light was turned on and saw two males.

Mr Nicol said: “The males were speaking to him, however he could not hear clearly what they were saying, but when they raised their voices he heard one of them state ‘give me the money’.”

The 17-year-old was armed with a knife and approached the bed but the pensioner kicked out.

He handed over £40 or £60 from his wallet but a demand was made for his car keys. He said his wife, who was out, had the car. A further demand was then made for a computer and he said it was downstairs before pointing out a laptop.

The younger robber then punched him in the face and on the head and told him: “Don’t call the police.”

His 17-year-old accomplice also punched the pensioner.

The victim called his wife who arrived home to find her husband in bloodstained pyjamas with injuries to his face.

The 15-year-old told his mother what he had done the following day and she called police. The father of the 17-year-old also contacted police.

During the December robbery, the 17-year-old was part of a group seen hanging around wearing tracksuits with their hoods pulled up.

Hannan, of Macgill Drive, Muirhouse, and Greig, of Duddingston Crescent, went into the shop with the teenager who immediately went behind the counter and grabbed the worker and a struggle broke out.

Greig tried unsuccessfully to open the till and Hannan stole cigarettes before the trio fled. Greig later claimed that the plan had only been to steal money to buy legal highs.

The judge, Lady Stacey, called for background reports and deferred sentence in the case until next month at the High Court in Glasgow.

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