A thug abducted his friend, told her he would kill her, and asked: “Do you want to die in here?”
Callum Cruickshank, 22, had been drinking with the woman at his home at the time at Lumsden Court, Huntly, when he began acting in an “odd” manner.
He then locked her in the bedroom and returned brandishing a wine bottle, before telling the woman he would kill her.
Fiscal depute Colin Neilson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the pair had been drinking together with no issues initially before he abducted his friend.
He added: “The accused began to say odd things like ‘I know what you’ve done’.
“At around 10.30pm the accused walked out of the bedroom and locked the door behind him. This prevented the complainer from leaving the room.
“The accused returned shortly after, holding a glass bottle of wine which he raised above his head as if he was going to hit the complainer.
“She managed to grab it out of his hand and throw it away.”
Cruickshank went on to leave the room again, locking it behind him, before returning and locking it again.
He then grabbed the woman by her legs and arms. He went on to say: “Let me show you the truth. I’m going to kill you, do you want to die in here?”
The woman managed to phone a friend who could hear Cruickshank “screaming and shouting” at her and so called the police.
Cruickshank continued to seize the woman while repeating the chilling words.
When police arrived an officer was speaking to Cruickshank through the letterbox when he spat at him, landing in the officer’s mouth.
Police forced entry and arrest the accused.
Cruickshank, of Swann Place, Ballater, pled guilty to abducting his friend and assault, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, and assaulting a police officer.
The incidents happened on April 30 last year.
Defence agent Gail Goodfellow said: “He’s had a history of mental health problems since childhood.
“It wasn’t until he was 19 he was formally diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
“By then he started to use alcohol and low-level drugs to cope with the symptoms of his deteriorating mental health.”
Mrs Goodfellow said her client had no recollection of the offences and was “shocked and ashamed” when confronted with the evidence.
She added: “The complainer was a good friend of his. He bears no ill will towards her and he’s at a loss to explain why he would have behaved in this appalling manner towards her.”
The solicitor said her client had not taken any alcohol or illegal drugs since the incident.
Sheriff William Summers handed Cruickshank 18 months supervision, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a six-month curfew.
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