Woman spied on through window before being tied to chair as robbers ransacked home

Terrified Eilidh Carr, 20, was subjected to an hour-long ordeal during which the men threaten her with a screwdriver as they ransacked her Piershill home.

Barry Hunter, 22, and Arran Adey, 26, made off with cash their victim had saved for a trip to Australia, leaving her trussed up with masking tape on a wooden chair. The two men appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday to admit the break-in on August 7 and assaulting and robbing Ms Carr, who was left traumatised by the experience.

The court heard that Ms Carr had been watching a film when she heard a noise and went to investigate. After finding nothing untoward, she snibbed her front door and went back to watching the movie.

She heard another noise ten minutes later and thought her mother had returned home.

Advocate depute Martin Macari, prosecuting, told the court: “Suddenly the living room door opened and the light was switched on.

“Ms Carr saw two males, both of whom were unknown to her, both of whom had hooded tops on with the hoods up and something over their faces.”

She was threatened with a screwdriver as the men ordered, “Don’t move.”

One of the men said they had been watching the flat and had seen her through her window, said Mr Macari.

The robbers told Ms Carr that she was a “silly lassie” who should lock her windows and keep herself safe.

The court heard how Ms Carr cut her finger opening a tin which contained £250 savings for her planned trip to Australia. The robbers also took coins from a glass jar.

But after ransacking her mother’s bedroom they left jewellery lying on a table. “If we were b******* we would take these,” Hunter told Ms Carr.

Hunter then told her: “You know I’m going to have to tie you up.”

Mr Macari told judge Lord Turnbull: “Ms Carr later stated that this caused her to freak out.”

At the end of her ordeal, the victim was made to sit on a chair and trussed up with tape. Ms Carr was able to struggle free but when she tried to call for help she found the phone wire had been cut. She climbed through a window and ran to a neighbour to raise the alarm.

Police traced CCTV footage of two men with a red bag which matched the bag the robbers had used to take away Ms Carr’s laptop, mobile phone and other items.

Adey was trapped because he cut his finger stealing coins from a jar and a bloodstain matched his DNA.

Mr Macari said Ms Carr had difficulty sleeping after the incident and was scared to be alone in the house, although her mum bought her a dog to make her feel safer.

Hunter, of Lochend Avenue, Lochend, and Adey, of Loganlea Place, Craigentinny, also admitted using Ms Carr’s bank card to withdraw £80 from a cash machine.

Lord Turnbull called for reports and remanded both men in custody, pending sentence next month.

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