Knife mugger chased Women praised in court as thug admits double attack

previously of Scott Street but now described as a prisoner at Perth, will discover his fate on March 27.

A psychiatric report is to be prepared after the court heard he had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

Appearing on indictment, he admitted presenting a knife at the first woman on November 9, and robbing the second victim of her handbag, containing cash, cards and pictures, the same day.

Whyte was subject to two bail orders, dated October 3 from the Perth court at the time.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the court the first incident took place about 6.15 on a Friday evening.

She said: “The woman was walking down an alleyway alone and could hear footsteps behind her. She saw the accused overtake her and stand in front of her.”

He presented what turned out to be a cutlery knife at her but took to his heels after she shouted out in a bid to attract other people.

About a quarter of an hour later, the second woman was also walking on her own in the Canal Street area.

As the 53-year-old crossed the road, Whyte approached her and grabbed her handbag.

The court was told: “The force of him doing that caused her to stumble forward and fall to the ground.”

As Whyte fled the scene still clutching the handbag, he ran past a man who was standing smoking outside a nearby bar.

“He recognised the accused as they had gone to school together and shouted: ‘Daniel, drop the handbag.’

“The accused did drop it but continued running away.

“The member of the public picked the handbag up and took it back to the complainer who was visibly shaken,” the fiscal said.

Her purse, containing £30 in cash and various cards, had been removed.

Police were able to identify Whyte from the pub’s CCTV and they went to his home about 10pm that night.

He was sleeping on the sofa but they spotted a bank card, on open view, which had been taken from the second victim. The court heard: “Officers asked the accused if they could search the property but he told them he had disposed of the purse in an alleyway.” It was never recovered. David Sinclair, defending, said that when the accused didn’t take his medication – or mixed it with illicit substances - he became “unstable”.

Whyte is currently serving a 42-week jail term imposed on November 21 last year and his current earliest release date is April 17.

He had also been made the subject of a community-based compulsion order after spending time in Murray Royal Hospital.

“A psychiatric report would be of assistance,” he added.

Sheriff Wood agreed to defer sentence meantime but warned the accused: “A custodial sentence is still uppermost in my mind.”