Perth OAP who nearly died following a mugging given top treatment

Sep 11 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A POPULAR pensioner who suffered serious injuries in a sickening Perth mugging is on the road to recovery.

Brave grandmother Winifred Pearson was left crumpled in agony after being assaulted in broad daylight by drug addict Paul Nicol while shopping near her home in the Fair City’s Tulloch district five months ago.

Yesterday, the determined 82-year-old spoke publicly for the first time about her ordeal as she ventured out to her local supermarket to meet friends and kind-hearted staff.

Nicol (38) was jailed for four years and eight months at Perth Sheriff Court earlier this month after admitting the assault and a separate attack on 73-year-old Perth woman Mary Whitehead last June.

He made off with just £33 after the two incidents.

Despite being left scarred for life as a result of the incident that shocked Perthshire last April 19, Mrs Pearson refused to show any bitterness towards her attacker.

“I was in Perth Royal Infirmary for ten-and-a-half weeks and was really ill,” she told the PA yesterday.

“The hospital staff deserve medals, they were absolutely brilliant and I cannot praise them enough.

“Before, I was out and about nearly every day. He (Nicol) has taken away all the pleasures for me but it’s in the past now and we have to look forward.

“He is better off the streets. A lot of folk said he should have got more but the judge knew what he was doing.”

Mrs Pearson, who returned home last month, said she had received “absolutely marvellous” support from people in Tulloch and beyond.

“I never knew I had so many friends,” the Primrose Crescent resident quipped.

“I had 106 get-well cards. I got them from outside of Perth from folk I had never met who had read about it in the papers.”

The OAP suffered a fractured humerus and a broken hip after striking the ground with force, then developed pneumonia and MRSA in hospital.

“I’m going to see the surgeon in October and if I could get the use of my arm again that would be great,” said Mrs Pearson.

The mother-of-two has been boosted by visits from her grown-up grandchildren Catriona, who studies in Newcastle, and Glasgow university student Andrew.

And Mrs Pearson thanked workers at Tesco’s Crieff Road store who yesterday presented her with flowers and store vouchers to mark her bravery.

Mrs Pearson’s son Bob said that seeing Nicol go down was little compensation for the family’s distress.

“But at least the guy’s in prison,” he told the PA yesterday.