A man who petrolbombed an Aberdeen police station in an early morning attack has been locked up.
Ricky Courage stuffed a rag down the neck of a beer bottle full of petrol and climbed on top of Dyce Police Station, which is attached to the primary school, before setting fire to it on March 1 last year.
He then fled the scene, but police spotted his getaway car on CCTV and tracked him to a nearby house – where they found him hiding in a wardrobe.
And in a separate incident earlier this year, the 25-year-old was caught carrying a meat cleaver on George Street.
Courage is already behind bars for his role in the 2014 HMP Grampian riots, and at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday had an additional 28 months added to his jail term after previously admitting the two offences.
Depute fiscal John Richardson told the court that on March 1 last year, residents living close to Dyce police station – which is adjoined to Dyce primary school – spotted a man wearing yellow gloves get out of a silver car at around 7am.
Soon afterwards, they heard a loud thump and spotted smoke billowing from the roof of the police office.
Mr Richardson said witnesses then saw Courage “running away from the police office, and then entering the silver car before driving off at speed.”
He added: “The car leaving the area was recorded on CCTV.
“Officers from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service soon arrived and found a small fire on the roof of the police office.”
The court heard that after the blaze was extinguished, fire and police teams discovered a glass beer bottle with a rag protruding from its neck containing a blue liquid, as well as an empty white spirit bottle, with other rags and pieces of plastic at the scene.
It was later found that the contents of the bottle – which was covered in Courage’s DNA – was “essentially petrol”.
The court heard the fire did not cause substantial image, however Dyce Primary School was closed for the day as investigations were carried out.
Mr Richardson said that later in the day, officers traced Courage to a nearby address, where “they found the accused hiding in a wardrobe in a bedroom”.
When officers searched the car Courage had used, they found a yellow glove which also contained his DNA.
Defence agent Christopher Maitland told the court yesterday: “He offers no excuse for his actions.
“He recognises the stupidity of his actions has expressed much regret and has apologised.”
Meanwhile in a separate incident on April 30 this year, Courage was spotted with a seven inch cleaver on George Street, Aberdeen.
Mr Maitland urged the court to be lenient with his client, arguing he was already behind bars.
But Sheriff Alison Stirling imposed a consecutive sentence totalling 28 months for the two offences.
And last night, Detective Inspector Stewart Drummond welcomed the sentence and said: “This was a completely reckless attempt to cause fear and alarm to the local community.
“Thankfully minimal damage was caused to the police station and no one was hurt, however the time and valuable resources wasted in dealing with this incident and the disruption caused to the area cannot be underestimated.
“I welcome this sentence and hope it provides reassurance to the local community that if you behave in such a reckless manner you will face the consequences of your actions.”
