A repeat offender who shot a man twice in the face with a BB gun has been locked up for more than a year after a sheriff branded him a danger to the public.
A jury of nine women and six men found Aleksandrs Kolosovs guilty by a majority of assaulting John Cooper at the accused’s flat on January 26 this year.
Giving evidence during the four day trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Mr Cooper said the attack happened on the very first day the pair met after Kolosovs invited him to his home at the city’s Linksfield Court to play guitar.
Once inside Kolosovs started shooting cans with one of his pellet guns, a replica revolver, before he turned round and without warning shot Mr Cooper twice to the head.
As a result he was left bleeding profusely and the ammunition remained lodged under his skin. One of the pellets struck Mr Cooper directly above his left eye while the other hit him on his right temple.
Kolosovs had always denied the charges against him and claimed that Mr Cooper had never even been inside his flat.
And even after conviction the Latvian national would not accept his guilt, even when Sheriff William Summers said his position was “absurd” given the detailed evidence given in court by his victim.
Sentencing the 30-year-old yesterday, Sheriff Summers said he had to consider how best to protect the public.
He said: “This is a very serious matter and I am troubled by your attitude towards it.
“In your evidence you described the gun as a ‘cool adult toy’.
“It is a gas fired BB gun, it is not a toy. It is a powerful weapon and when used irresponsibly it can be lethal. Anyone facing charges such as these should expect to receive a custodial sentence.
“In your case you took careful aim and shot him in the head, not once, but twice.”
The sheriff said that in his view Kolosovs’ actions that night were “beyond reckless” and said the offence was “calculated, cowardly and vicious”.
He added: “It is with the greatest good fortune that Mr Cooper was not more seriously injured and you are not facing more serious charges.”
Sheriff Summers sent him to jail for 20 months and ordered that he be placed on a supervised release order when he is freed from prison for a period of 10 months.
Prior to the trial starting Kolosovs had admitted spitting at a police officer on May 24. Sheriff Summers said that this was also a “deplorable” offence and also sentenced him to three months in prison, which will run concurrently to the 20 months.
Kolosovs, a prisoner in HMP Grampian, had faced two further charges which alleged he was in possession of a BB gun at the East Neuk Bar, King Street, Aberdeen, while making threats that he was going to shoot a sheriff.
These charges were found not proven.