Masked man barged into Wick home and threatened woman with knife
A masked man who barged his way into a house in Wick and demanded drugs before assaulting a woman has been jailed for 16 months.
Scott Shearer (20) admitted on indictment having assaulted Robyn Miller at her home in Glamis Road, Wick, on March 24, as well as having an offending record.
Sheriff Neil Wilson was told that Miss Miller was drinking at her home with acquaintance Liam Robertson around 10pm. They had consumed a litre of vodka between them. Mr Robertson fell asleep on the living room couch.
Shearer arrived at Miss Miller’s home and when the door was opened, she observed he was wearing a black and yellow snood and a hooded top, although she recognised his voice. The accused barged in, grabbed her, forced her to the floor and banged her head off the door frame “demanding to know where the drugs were”.
Miss Miller informed Shearer she knew who he was and the accused removed his mask. He let go of her and she then noticed he was holding a knife.
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said: “The accused was shouting in an aggressive voice, ‘Where are the f*****g drugs’”.
He continued: “Miss Miller was concerned that Shearer was going to use the knife to harm her so she complied with everything he said. He walked past her to go to the kitchen. At this stage, Shearer was pointing the knife at her while continuing to demand to know where the drugs were.”
Shearer went into the kitchen and rummaged around trying to find drugs, followed by Miss Miller.
He asked her: “Why are you standing in front of a kitchen cupboard if you don’t have any drugs?”
Mr McLennan said: “Shearer pushed her out of the way, opened the cupboard and took Miss Miller’s prescribed Pregabalin, thought to have contained about six capsules. Miss Miller told him that she had pocket-dialled the police by mistake in an effort to get him to leave, which he did.”
Police arrived at the house and found Miss Miller complaining of a pain in her head and she was taken to Caithness General Hospital. She was found to have bruising around her eyes and nose. A CT scan revealed that her nose was broken and would require to be reset.
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Solicitor Bethan Jones said that Shearer had been under the influence of drink or drugs at the time of the offence. He had fallen in with the “wrong crowd” at a young age and his drugs abuse might explain his offending record.
She told Sheriff Wilson: “In recent months, my client has tried to address his substance misuse and engage with supervision and community payback orders. These offences were committed during a dip in his mental health.”
Miss Jones said that Shearer accepted responsibility for his actions which were “foolish” and had caused Miss Miller “fear and alarm”.
Shearer is currently serving a 20-month prison term imposed at the court, in May and, it was stated, would continue to benefit from social workers after his release in March next year.
The sheriff took into account a background report and that Shearer was a young man who had pleaded guilty at an early stage.
Sheriff Wilson added: “Nevertheless, it is a serious, premeditated offence involving the use of a weapon. You went to Miss Miller’s house with the intention of robbing her of her drugs.”
