Student attacker sentenced to prison

The armed intruder who tied up and threatened two students from Edinburgh University in their own flat has been jailed for six years.

In April of this year, Olufemi Olumide broke into the flat of Christina Robbie, 24, and Brett Dorrans, 23, at Gardener’s Crescent in Edinburgh and threatened them with a knife.

He told the students: "If you don't want to go into witness protection then you won't call the police."

The students had left their top-floor flat to go shopping. On the way downstairs they noticed a man in the stairwell but continued on their way. On their return they found the flat door open and Mr Olumide in the living room with a knife. He asked them: "Have you any valuables?"

Ms Robbie ran to the bathroom because Olumide threatened to slit her throat. He then threatened to do the same to Mr Dorrans if she would not come out.

According to STV Edinburgh, Mr Olumide then forced the students to hand over their mobile phones, cameras, games, an iPod and a watch.

As he tied up Mr Dorrans, Olumide said: "I'm sorry about this but I'm desperate, you seem like nice people." After he left, the students untied themselves and called the police.

When Mr Olumide was arrested he said: "Judging by what I've done today I'll probably get three to five years but in Scotland I'll be out in two."

However, at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lady Clark of Calton stated: “To assault the young occupants in their own flat with a knife, tie them up, terrorise them and threaten them with horrible consequences is completely unacceptable and very worrying to the court.”

Mr Olumide also pledged guilty of breaking into a flat in Gibson Terrace five days earlier and stealing a TV and other valuable items.

Defence solicitor advocate, David Allan said: "He did not intentionally set out that day to commit this particular offence.

“Although this was a terrifying ordeal, there was no physical injury or use of the knife on the victims."