Elderly householders confront intruder

Sep 6 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

AN ELDERLY Scotlandwell couple bravely confronted a teenage intruder in their own home yesterday at 3.10am.

The husband and wife, aged 79 and 74 respectively, had been fast asleep in an upstairs bedroom at their detached home when woken by a strange noise downstairs.

A Tayside Police spokesman said the elderly retirees decided to investigate and made their way downstairs.

“They’ve seen this young guy and have shouted at him that they’ve phoned the police, after which he’s turned and fled,” he said.

Police officers were quickly on the scene from Kinross but could find no trace of the offender, apart from a discarded handbag stolen from the couple’s home.

The handbag appeared to have been hastily ransacked by the crook, with £100 in cash and a pair of spectacles among the missing contents.

Nothing else was believed to have been stolen by the intruder, who was described as very skinny, aged 17 to 19, and wearing dark trousers and a shell-style top.

Police are unsure whether the suspect made his getaway on foot or in a vehicle and are appealing for witnesses who may have seen a suspicious looking teenager in the area.

“This break-in, which was most likely opportunistic, is a very unusual crime for this area as Scotlandwell is a small and isolated village,” said the spokesman.

“We are conducting a forensic examination at the scene as well as carrying out door-to-door inquiries and will be liaising with our colleagues in the Fife constabulary as Scotlandwell is right on the border.

“The victims are understandably very shaken up by the experience and will be referred to Victim Support.”

Scotlandwell, with about 100 households, is located to the east of Loch Leven at the junction of the A977 and B920, about four miles west of Glenrothes and four miles east of Kinross.

Contact Tayside Police on 0300 111 2222 or pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.