A drugged-up woman has been jailed after attacking and seriously injuring a 73-year-old man in his own home.
Mandy Nicol had been taking drugs with the pensioner’s son all day before waking up to realise he had disappeared along with her mother’s credit card.
Fearing her mother’s wrath, Nicol went in search of her friend, attending at his address on Park Street.
However, when only the man’s elderly father was at home, the 38-year-old forced her way into the address and assaulted him.
Fiscal depute David Rogers told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Nicol had been with the complainer’s son throughout the morning of December 20 last year before going their separate ways following an argument.
At 10.30pm, the pensioner was asleep at home when he was woken by loud knocking on his front door.
‘She hasn’t helped herself in that she has been using substances’
On investigating, he could hear Nicol at the other side of the door saying she “wanted some belongings back”.
He told her his son was not at home and she would need to leave.
But when he partially opened the door to talk to her, Nicol “forced her way into the property”.
In doing so, she caused the elderly man to stumble back and fall.
Mr Rogers told the court: “The accused had a plastic carrier bag in her possession at the time, containing unknown items.
“The accused lunged forward and struck the complainer on the head with the bag of items.
“He felt an impact to the left side of his head and felt blood trickle down his head.
“The accused then grabbed the complainer’s head.
“He was able to get to his feet and usher the accused out of the property.”
The injured man managed to contact family members for assistance.
When they arrived, Nicol was still outside and told them: “It wasn’t me. I didn’t touch him.”
Police were contacted and the pensioner was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was found to have a wound under his right eye and bruising to his back, ribs and hip.
A pre-existing cyst on the side of his head had also burst during the assault and will leave a permanent scar.
Nicol, of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
‘Her mum would be extremely disappointed in her’
Defence agent Laura Gracie said a psychological report on her client went into her “personal history and issues she was facing around the time of the offending behaviour”.
Ms Gracie added: “She hasn’t helped herself in that she has been using substances.
“That is one way she escaped from all the difficulties she faced.”
The lawyer explained that Nicol had spent the day with the son of the pensioner, who had taken her mum’s credit card.
She said: “That’s the cause of the argument.
“Having come to after taking a number of drugs, she realised the man was missing with the card.
“She was frantically looking for him to get it back knowing her mum would be extremely disappointed in her.
“She does accept responsibility.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller jailed Nicol for 12 months, backdated to December 26 when she was first remanded, and imposed a six-month supervised release order.
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