A WOMAN was jailed for four years today (Tuesday) after exploiting a lonely, disabled man for cash before staging a cruel robbery on the victim at his home in Prestonpans, which left him fearing he was going to be murdered.

Angela Ryan, 36, turned and winked to a man in the public benches at the High Court in Edinburgh after sentence was passed on her for the offence, which her counsel described as "a horrible and brutish crime".

Ryan's accomplice in the assault and robbery, Jason Kirkby, 44, was imprisoned for five years for his role in the assault and robbery on John Toal.

The court heard that Mr Toal, 58, had suffered a severe brain injury after he was hit by a lorry as a seven-year-old boy.

He is severely disabled and cannot walk without a Zimmer frame, but lives alone at his home in Prestonpans and gets a high level of support from carers.

Advocate depute Jim Keegan QC said he had been classified as lonely and vulnerable.

"He has told his carers that he would like to have a relationship with a female, but due to his disabilities he has been unable to find a partner," he added.

"His carers have opined that as a result of this he is particularly susceptible to being taken advantage of. He is prone to giving money to individuals in an attempt to gain friendship."

The prosecutor said that Mr Toal was also in the habit of saving his money and keeping substantial sums at home.

Mr Keegan said: "He has explained that he does this in the hope of getting married one day."

When detectives later put it to Ryan that she was responsible for the assault and robbery on the victim, during which he fell into unconsciousness after a noose was put round him, she replied: "So f***ing what?"

The prosecutor said that those who provide care for Mr Toal had in the past raised concerns about his vulnerability to financial abuse and had reported it to police.

In May this year, a care worker contacted police to report her concerns that he was getting visits from Ryan and her sister, both of whom they believed were taking money from him. The police did not feel they could intervene at the time, said Mr Keegan.

He said that on August 18 - three days before the robbery - a carer again reported to police concerns that Ryan and her sister were taking money from him and informed that Mr Toal had revealed Ryan had kissed him.

The advocate depute said: "The police did not feel able to intervene."

The following day, Ryan went to Mr Toal's home and asked him for £100 to pay utility bills. He agreed to give her the money and went to get it from a cash box.

He opened it with a key that was hanging on a lace round his neck, all of which was witnessed by Ryan.

In the early hours of August 21, Mr Toal heard a tap on the window at his home - a sign used by Ryan to indicate that she would be at the door.

Mr Keegan said: "When he opened the door, two persons burst into his house. They were wearing balaclavas that covered their faces.

"They grabbed hold of him. They placed a noose around his neck and pulled it tight.

"Whilst this was happening a male voice said 'We're going to kill you' and 'Make sure you make it really tight'."

Mr Keegan said: "The victim believed he was going to be murdered and found it hard to breathe. He believes he was rendered unconscious for a time."

When Mr Toal came round, he realised that his mouth was cut and bleeding heavily. The noose that had been used on him was lying nearby, the keys from around his neck were gone and the cash box was open and empty.

He managed to use his walking frame to seek help from a neighbour, who alerted the emergency services. The robbery victim was seen by a doctor, who found grazes and pinpoint haemorrhages consistent with considerable force being applied to a ligature for a period of time.

Mr Keegan said: "It appears the ligature was placed just above the victim's jaw line.

"The attack was to the danger of his life and it was very fortunate that the ligature was not directly around the neck."

Police got a search warrant for Ryan's home on Preston Road, Prestonpans, and found length a of rope of similar to that used in the attack on Mr Toal. They also discovered more than £800 in a handbag and a further £1,500 hidden among clothing in a bedroom.

Ryan's sister told officers that she had informed her and Kirkby - who was in a relationship with the sister - that Mr Toal had money in a safe at his home.

Police found out that Ryan and Kirkby had told others that they had robbed the victim and that Ryan had bought highly-addictive crack cocaine.

They received an anonymous call identifying the perpetrators of the crime and were told that they were at a house in Tranent.

They found both of them hiding in a wardrobe at the property. Kirkby was discovered to have more than £2,400 in cash on him.

Mr Keegan said that £5,117 was recovered following the robbery and Ryan was known to have spent £130 at a jeweller's, but the amount spent on crack cocaine was unknown.

Ryan and Kirkby, also of Preston Street, Prestonpans, admitted staging the masked assault and robbery by forcing their way into the victim's home, punching him on the head, placing a rope around him and rendering him unconscious.

Defence counsel Matt Jackson, for Ryan, said: "It is a crime which properly can be called a horrible and brutish crime."

He said that Ryan had been a drug user since the age of 19 but 18 months ago "as a matter of choice" started using crack cocaine.

Mr Jackson said that her use of that drug might offer some explanation for what happened, but was not an excuse.

Drew McKenzie, for Kirkby, said his client had a long-standing addiction to heroin and added: "He is pretty appalled by his behaviour."

Lady Scott told the pair that they had both pled guilty to the violent and heartless robbery of a very vulnerable and significantly disabled man.

The judge said: "This robbery was planned. You went late at night, with faces masked and a rope."

"This assault was to the real danger of your victim's life and he thought he was going to die," said Lady Scott.

The judge told Ryan that she would have faced a six-year sentence but for her guilty plea. She told her co-accused, who had a more serious criminal record, that he would have been jailed for seven years, but for his plea.