An Aberdeen man was caught out when the woman whose flat he kicked his way into saw a social media post from him boasting about breaking into a home.
Andrew Collier appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted to breaking into the woman’s flat on King Street by kicking the door off its hinges.
The woman – who was on a night out and a former partner of Collier – saw a social media video post from him where he bragged about how he had just broken into a house.
When she arrived home she found her door lying “splintered, kicked in with the lock broken”.
Incriminating video of break in on social media
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told the court that at around 1.40am on November 1 2021, the woman had locked her front door and gone out for the night when she received a text message from Collier stating that he needed to get into her home.
She advised him that she was out and would not be returning for some time, to which he replied he would “get in himself”.
At around 3am she looked at her phone and saw a social media video posted by Collier where he was bragging he’d broken into a house.
The woman then returned to her flat and found her front door lying splintered and with the lock broken.
In a separate incident, Ms Ross told the court that on April 2 last year the police were looking for Collier in relation to a separate matter and went to the same woman’s home.
Police noticed a pair of bare feet sticking out within a wardrobe
At that time, Collier was subject to a non-harassment order not to approach or contact her.
Police were afforded entry to her flat and there they saw her “whispering to an unknown person”.
They immediately searched the property and noted a “pair of bare feet sticking out from below clothing within the bedroom cupboard”.
During his subsequent arrest, Collier became violent, kicking a female officer before telling other constables he would “smash” them.
He also told them to “suck their grandads’ ashes”.
Collier pleaded guilty to breaching his non-harassment order, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
He also admitted wilfully and recklessly damaging the front door and an additional theft charge from a separate incident where he stole household items from the woman.
Andrew Collier ‘seems to have got himself back on track’
Defence solicitor Caitlin Pirie told the court that her client had been struggling with his mental health at the time and had been “adding to that” with alcohol.
“He was not in a good head space at the time,” she said.
“Things have greatly improved since that time of these offences – he seems to have got himself back on track.
“Mr Collier has accepted responsibility and he has shown remorse.”
Sheriff Margret Hodge sentenced Collier, of Malcolm Road, Aberdeen, to a community payback order with 85 hours of unpaid work.
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