An Aberdeen man has been jailed after assaulting and attempting to rob a shopkeeper.
Peter Matthews appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday after he previously admitted threatening Eric Odame with a knife and demanding £100 at the Premier Store on Union Street on May 3 last year.
The 23-year-old, whose address was given as West North Street, Aberdeen, also pleaded guilty to attacking Mateusz Rybski by repeatedly kicking and punching him on the head to his “severe injury”, leaving him permanently disfigured.
He also admitted brandishing a knife during the incident, which happened while he was on bail.
Calum MacDonald, of Mulroy Terrace, was also convicted of the attack on Mr Rybski.
Matthews’ defence agent Iain Hingston told the court that his client had been on drugs at the time of the offence.
He said his actions were an illustration of the perils of taking illegal substances.
Mr Hingston said Matthews knew he was facing a lengthy jail sentence but had attempted to turn his life around since the incident and was now free from drugs, apart from a “fairly low” methadone subscription.
Meanwhile Kevin Longino, MacDonald’s defence agent, said the offence was “out of character”.
He said MacDonald had also been taking illegal substances at the time but had since changed his lifestyle.
Sheriff William Summers said Matthews’ offences were “so serious” that he had no choice but to lock him up for 15 months.
Meanwhile, MacDonald was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within 12 months as a direct alternative to custody.
