A north-east woman is facing jail after she tried to steal a baby from his pram as she travelled on a bus in Aberdeen.
Joan Smith sobbed in the dock at the city’s sheriff court yesterday as she admitted attempting to snatch the eight-month-old from his mother.
The court heard that Smith started to push the pram away as the bus pulled up at a stop in Holburn Road.
But when she was confronted by his worried mum she resorted to grabbing at the infant – who was fortunately strapped into his buggy.
Yesterday, the 44-year-old’s solicitor said the incident on November 11 was “nothing short of a cry for help”.
Smith admitted the offence of attempted plagium, and is also due to appear in court today for sentence for assaulting another child.
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald said the mother and son had boarded the bus around 9am for a trip they regularly made together.
The court heard that when they got on the bus Smith was standing in an area normally used by mothers and babies.
Ms MacDonald said Smith immediately moved to let them on and sat on a seat behind them so there would be room for the pram.
The court heard that as the bus approached their stop in Holburn Road the child’s mother removed the brake on the buggy and Smith stood up and walked towards them.
She said Smith then started to edge herself into the pram, moving it forward slightly and away from the baby’s mother.
Ms MacDonald said her behaviour alarmed the mother, who said “Excuse me, please don’t do that”.
But Smith became upset and shouted back at her “Don’t you know I’ve lost my child?”.
Smith then left the bus, but boarded again moments later.
Ms MacDonald said the infant’s mother was terrified when she noticed Smith trying to lift him out of his buggy.
She said: “The pram straps prevented the child from being removed from the pram.
“The panel then walked off the bus and was heard to shout back at her ‘the police would take your son away because that’s what they do’.”
The court heard Smith, who was described in court papers as a prisoner at HMP Grampian in Peterhead, left the scene and the bus driver drove off.
Ms MacDonald said the child’s mother later reported the incident to the police and told officers she strongly believed Smith would have taken her baby if he had not been strapped in.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan asked Smith if she was sure she realised she was admitting “the attempted theft of a baby”.
Smith’s agent, solicitor Stuart Murray, said his client had significant mental health problems but that she accepted her guilt.
He said she was also waiting to be sentenced for kicking a youngster on the foot.
Sheriff Buchanan said it would make sense for all of Smith’s outstanding matters to be dealt with together by the same sheriff and deferred sentence until next month for background reports.