A MUSSELBURGH man who carried out a “vicious and unprovoked” attack on an elderly woman has been jailed.

Patrick Lightband seized the woman by the arms, punched her to the head and pulled her to the ground as he robbed her of a mobile phone.

Lightband, of Musselburgh’s South Street, launched the assault on the woman as she was walking home in the dark along Ferry Road in Edinburgh on March 10 this year.

Lightband appeared by video link from Polmont Young Offenders Institution at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to the attack and was jailed for two years.

Sheriff Robert Fife also heard that the 20-year-old was pleading guilty to uttering threats of violence towards a man at North High Street, Musselburgh, last September.

He also admitted carrying a knife during the confrontation with Neil Cowan.

Solicitor Angela Craig said that her client had been carrying the blade for protection after having his home broken into on several occasions.

Ms Craig said that “drink and drugs” had been involved in the Musselburgh incident and Lightband had a “realistic acceptance” he was to be sentenced to a period in custody.

Sheriff Fife jailed Lightband for four months for issuing the threats towards Mr Cowan and a further nine months for knife possession, both on September 2 last year.

He was also imprisoned for 24 months for the robbery of the woman in Edinburgh.

The sheriff added that Lightband would be supervised for 12 months following his release and that all the prison sentences were to run concurrently.