Thug mugged OAP for high-value Rolex watch after following him from Edinburgh lap-dancing bar

Serial offender Donovan Reid targeted his victim outside his West End home after he left the Baby Dolls establishment
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A thug who mugged an OAP for his high-value Rolex watch after following him from a Capital lap-dancing bar, was yesterday jailed for four years.

Serial offender Donovan Reid – who previously served time for rape and has spend all but one of the last ten years behind bars – targeted his victim outside his West End home after he left the Baby Dolls establishment.

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He attacked retired company director Ian Haig, 76, last July after he and an accomplice travelled to Edinburgh from the West Midlands and found themselves desperate for cash.

The victim was followed the Baby Dolls establishment in EdinburghThe victim was followed the Baby Dolls establishment in Edinburgh
The victim was followed the Baby Dolls establishment in Edinburgh

The High Court in Glasgow heard that defenceless Mr Haig was punched from behind and dragged to the ground before the Swiss watch was ripped from his wrist and £600 was stolen from his wallet during the 11pm attack after he had enjoyed a night out at a number of pubs and clubs.

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Jailing Reid, 28, who had been found guilty at an earlier trial, judge Andrew Cubie said he was a “cynical and mercenary” criminal and the ordeal had left Mr Haig “deeply affected”.

Describing police photographs of the victim’s injuries, the judge added: “It is clear from the Victim Impact Statement that Mr Haig has been deeply affected by the assault; having been a sociable and active member of the community, your assault on him has been an impediment to his continuing with his normal lifestyle and activities.

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“You and your accomplice bided your time, left with the complainer and waited until he took a taxi and then ran to your vehicle, before following him by car.

“You then approached him on foot and assaulted and robbed him. The single blow was brutal and cowardly, coming as it did out of the darkness and from behind a 76-year-old man standing on his own doorstep. He had no opportunity to foresee or react; the force of the blow took him off his feet, before you manhandled him to pull the watch off his wrist and take his cash.

“There was apparently a degree of opportunism, in seeing the complainer with his watch and cash on display, but the offence also demonstrated a cynical and mercenary degree of patience and forethought in relation to the execution; it was not impulsive.”

Judge Cubie said Reid had a “concerning” list of previous convictions, including one for rape and another for possession of a firearm.

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He told him: “You have had less than one year out of custody since you were 18. You are plainly someone who is prepared to take what he wants, with force if need be, and irrespective of the consequences to the victim.”

Judge Cubie revealed that an expert on Reid found him “to be a significant risk to the public” and warned that he could effectively serve his adult life in prison.

He sentenced Reid, who was identified by CCTV and arrested in September last year, to four years behind bars and placed him under licence for two further years with the threat of an immediate return to custody if he offends in any way again.

During his trial, prosecutor Richard Goddard QC said Reid and his accomplice had identified Mr Haig as “an easy target”.

Reid was jailed for nine years for rape in 2009 in England and also for attempted robbery.