London, May 5 (ANI): When a thief decided to rob a 91-year-old retired sheriff”s home, he never expected he would have to fight his way out or end up with a black eye.
William Hook was at his Edinburgh townhouse when thief Michael MacKinnon burst in and covered his head with a cloth.
But Hook fought back and gave the intruder a black eye, before forcing him out through his back door, where he became stuck in a river and was arrested by police.
Hook admitted he was “perhaps naïve” to leave his front door unlocked, allowing MacKinnon to walk in and ransack his home in January.
“I would not like to be seen to be trying to influence matters,” the Scotsman quoted him as saying.
“I have nothing against the man and I know what he did to me was not personal. It is very serious, however, and one would imagine he will be imprisoned,” he said.
Hook, who feared he would never again see the medals he gained for service with the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, said he was not scared.
“The chap walked in and stuck this thing over my face. He didn”t scare me in the slightest – in fact I like a bit of fisticuffs. He gave me a black eye so I gave him one back,” he explained.
“He probably thought he had got lucky when he saw me but there”s life in me yet and I thumped him as hard as I could. He was probably more scared than me.
“The police couldn”t bring him in for me to identify because he was soaking wet, poor chap.
“I”ve come through worse things in my life, that is for sure. I had a tough time as a PoW and came back showing nothing but rag and bone.
“Nevertheless, I survived and here I am today, still fighting off what the world throws at me,” he stated.
According to fiscal depute Ruth Ross-Davie, Hook had left his front door unlocked because he “regarded himself to be living in a good area”.
“MacKinnon entered a bedroom and went through all the drawers and cupboards, stealing a number of items including cufflinks, two medals, some gold buttons and tie pins,” she told Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
“He then approached Sheriff Hook, who was in the sitting room, and covered his head with a cloth and indicated he wanted him to give him all his money.
“He gave MacKinnon the 5 pound note which had been in his pocket at the time before the accused made his escape out the back door,” she added.
MacKinnon pleaded guilty to assault and robbery charges in court. (ANI)