East Lothian pensioner fined £100 for assaulting convicted paedophile

A SHOCKED pensioner assaulted a convicted paedophile who she claims molested a child she knew.
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Shiela Hamilton exploded in anger at Barry Sammon after bumping into the sex offender while out shopping.

Hamilton, 65, shouted and swore at the man within the Home Bargains store in Musselburgh, branding him ‘a paedophile’ and ‘a dirty ba***rd’.

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Sammon moved away from the situation but was soon confronted again by the irate OAP who then spat in his face before being dragged away by a family member.

Edinburgh Sheriff CourtEdinburgh Sheriff Court
Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Police were called in to deal with the disturbance and Hamilton, of Prestonpans, was subsequently arrested and charged following the incident in February this year.

The pensioner appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday where she was handed a fine of £100.

Sheriff John Cook said: “Clearly you shouldn’t have done what you did but matters such as this do evoke high emotions.

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“You did cause a disturbance in the shop, but as you are 65 and have no previous convictions I propose to impose a financial penalty.”

Procurator Fiscal depute Jo Dunn said Hamilton was shopping with a family member at the store at around 5.40pm when she and Sammon met.

Ms Dunn said: “The witness Sammon was within Home Bargains when he overheard the accused stating to a staff member ‘Do you know that there is a paedophile in your shop?’

“She said to him ‘You are a paedophile - you are a dirty bastard’.”

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She told the court: “Mr Sammon moved away but was again approached by the accused who shouted ‘You are a f***ing ba****d touching a ten-year-old and a 14-year-old’.

“She then spat on the right side of his face before being dragged away by her daughter.”

Solicitor Cameron Tait, defending, said his client was disabled and has no previous convictions.

Mr Tait added the assault was ‘completely out of character’ for Hamilton and that she said one of Sammon’s victims was a child.

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He added: “She was out shopping that day and lost here temper.

“But if she was to see this man again she will walk the other way.”

Hamilton admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and uttering abusive remarks at Home Bargains on February 11.

The pensioner also pleaded guilty to assaulting Sammon by spitting on his head during the same incident.

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Sammon was convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl and an adult woman following a trial at Haddington Sheriff Court in March 2013.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.

In October 2013, a Tranent man who brandished a pick-axe at Sammon - his neighbour - after discovering his conviction for sex offences.

Anthony Carrigan, then 50, was cleared of assault but convicted of possessing an offensive weapon.

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