A man who tried to mug his elderly victim after following him off a city bus has been convicted.
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, Ian Paterson was found guilty of assaulting an 89-year-old man and attempting to rob him during an incident in Chalmers Crescent on Saturday 20 October 2012.
The 47-year-old alighted a bus at the same time as the man and soon after tried to steal his possessions.
However, his attempts were unsuccessful and he made off from the area before police were contacted.
Detectives carried out extensive CCTV enquiries and images of Paterson were released to assist with the investigation. He was quickly identified and subsequently charged in connection with the attack.
Police have now praised the public response, which resulted in Paterson being brought to justice.
Detective Inspector Stuart Harkness said:- “This was a frightening ordeal for the elderly man, who, thankfully, was not seriously injured, nor was he robbed of any of his belongings.
“Officers conducted various enquiries in the local area to obtain CCTV footage of the man responsible and thanks to the assistance of the media and public, Paterson was quickly identified.
“His conviction is testament to the robust evidence levied against him and he has been remanded in custody pending sentence.
“Lothian and Borders Police are committed to tackling street crime and various initiatives, including Operation Arable are ongoing throughout Edinburgh to make our communities safer.”
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