A woman has been jailed after she attacked a man she met at a support group and robbed him of £400.
Hannah Foliant, 32, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted her part in the frightening assault on the man in his home.
Foliant, along with two others, had turned up at the 66-year-old’s door with alcohol and drugs before they demanded money.
When he refused, they assaulted him a number of times before threatening him with the scissors.
They then took £400 that had been hidden under a carpet in his living room.
The pair were seen laughing as they left the man injured and frightened.
Man refused to give money
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told the court that the victim was an acquaintance of Foliant, having met her when he was a speaker at a support group she had attended.
They had been friends and socialised together but hadn’t done so for some time due to a falling out.
At around 9pm on January 26 this year, Foliant knocked on his door at a property on School Road, Aberdeen.
He was surprised to see Foliant and allowed her and her female friend inside but denied the male entry as he did not know him.
The pair then brought out controlled drugs and alcohol, with the man consuming several vodkas.
At about 11pm, Foliant and the other female began asking the man for money, but he refused to give them any.
“The accused continued to pester him and he could tell that she was not happy. Suddenly, the accused stated, ‘give her money or she’ll stab you’,” Ms Martin said.
“At this time, the complainer noticed that the female was holding a small pair of scissors, which had been lying on a table nearby.
“The complainer still refused to give them money.
“The accused and the female rushed towards the complainer, who was sitting in his chair. The accused went around the back of the complainer’s chair.
“She placed her arm around his neck in a headlock. The female repeatedly punched him on the head and body, while still in possession of the scissors.”
The woman then pressed the scissors against the man’s chest, at which point a struggle ensued that saw the man end up on the floor.
Robbed victim of money
The two women then held him to the ground and repeatedly struck him on the face.
As they struggled on the floor, the man saw a rug next to his television had been lifted, exposing around £400 that he kept hidden there.
He saw Foliant grab the money as the other woman continued to punch him.
The two women then ran out of the property and were seen by the victim’s neighbour, who said they were laughing as they left.
Police traced the pair soon after as they went to get into a taxi.
Nothing was found in Foliant’s possession, but the other woman had £319 in cash and some medication belonging to the victim.
They were taken into custody.
When the police arrived at the man’s house, they found him visibly shaken and with signs of a disturbance inside.
The victim sustained bruising and swelling to his face, wrists, and grazing to his neck and chin.
In the dock, Foliant pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and robbery.
Sheriff: Only prison is appropriate
Defence solicitor Paul Barnett described Foliant as having a “bad record” which he attributed to her having previously suffered a long-standing drug abuse problem.
Mr Barnett claimed an argument had broken out that night and things had escalated into violence.
“Ms Foliant played a lesser role in the offence,” he said.
“At no time was she in possession of a weapon or personally have any weapon and when stopped by police, she was not in possession of the money.
“She accepts that she took part in an art-in-part basis and she knows that the court will impose a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Foliant that he was “satisfied” that only a period of imprisonment was appropriate in her case, due to the seriousness of the offence.
He sentenced Foliant, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 20 months in prison.
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