A drug addict has been ordered to stay away from his parents for five years after subjecting them to a horrific campaign of intimidation and abuse.
Mark Davidson regularly demanded money from his mother and father and used violence to get what he wanted.
The 43-year-old held their belongings – including house keys, mobile phone and even medication – to ransom and attacked them if they refused to hand over cash.
The disturbing course of events lasted almost a year and took place largely at his parents’ home in Bridge of Don, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton said that at 4pm on February 5 last year, Davidson visited his parents and asked his dad for money to pay an electricity bill.
He was given £70 but returned hours later, shouting and swearing at his mother and demanding more money.
He then damaged a door, pushed his mum up against a wall and threw a bottle of aftershave at her.
Confronted by dad
Davidson’s father told him they were “fed up of his constant demands for money” and would not give him any more, however, the violence continued.
On April 10, Davidson rang his mother and asked for £140 which she declined to give him.
However, fearful that he would turn up at their home again, she withdrew £100.
Her fears were warranted, and Davidson did later turn up later and was confronted by his dad.
An argument ensued, with Davidson repeatedly demanding money before headbutting his father.
Davidson’s mum then gave him the £100 but he demanded another £40, which she went upstairs to fetch.
As Davidson left, he raised a fist towards his father and said: “Do you want this?”
He punched the wing mirror of their car on his way out.
At 9am on May 15, Davidson turned up at the property again and demanded £40 from his dad to pay a bill and for bus fare.
An argument broke out, during which Davidson slammed a door on his father’s hand, causing a one-inch cut.
Davidson then said he would only leave if he was given £50, which his father “reluctantly” agreed to.
‘Life spiralled out of control as a consequence of drug use’
Nine days later, Davidson was back, kicking at his parents’ door and angrily demanding yet more money, which his mum eventually agreed to give him if he’d only leave them alone.
In return, Davidson posted medication he had taken from his parents through the door.
He again punched the wing mirror of their car as he left.
During the evening of October 12 last year, Davidson turned up again and, when asked to leave, “pushed his way into the house”.
In doing so, the door struck his father in the face, bursting his lip.
Davidson began shouting and screaming at them, insisting his mum was “due to give him money”.
He told his dad he would “get him” and repeatedly pushed him to the chest, knocking him into a shelf and causing a radiator cover to fall over.
Early morning threats
On November 8, at 5.40am, Davidson arrived at the house, knocked on the door and threw stones at his mum’s bedroom window however she was “too scared to open the door”.
He returned at 5.30pm and was “shouting abusively” at his dad, demanding £45.
The police were called but Davidson had left before they arrived. However, he returned yet again at 6.15pm and again asked for money.
He left when his dad refused.
The next day, at 7am, Davidson knocked on the door, becoming “louder and more aggressive” with each passing minute.
When his mum eventually went to the door, Davidson “violently pushed the door open”, causing her to bang her left arm on the wall.
Davidson entered and took the house key and his mum’s phone.
He then shouted at her before “rushing at her” and pushing her against the kitchen worktop, grabbing her arm and scratching her.
He shouted in her face, demanding money and smashed a plate.
Mother left ‘shaking and scared’
Davidson “refused to leave” until his mother gave him money.
She arranged to meet him at the cash machine at Tesco in Danestone, where Davidson told her he “needed £100 in exchange for her keys and phone”.
His mum withdrew £60 but he “repeated his demand for £100”.
She said she was going inside Tesco to phone the police and he followed her in.
When staff said there was no public phone she left and handed Davidson £80, but he still refused to return her belongings.
She decided to go home and, when she arrived, Davidson put her phone down in the driveway and walked off.
Once inside, she noticed she had various injuries to her hands, chest, neck, face and arms and was “shaking and scared”.
‘He hangs his head in shame’
Throughout the day Davidson made multiple phone calls to his father, all from different numbers, asking to speak to his mum about money.
While police were in attendance at the parents’ house, Davidson again called and was heard on loudspeaker asking for “money in exchange for handing over medication”.
Davidson, of Oscar Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to assault, four charges of assault to injury, five charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence agent Tony Burgess said: “This is someone who hangs his head in shame. He makes reference to his feelings of utter disgust.”
Mr Burgess acknowledged the “absolute terror” his client’s parents suffered.
He went on: “His life spiralled out of control as a consequence of drug use.
“Everything else then became secondary to his desire to satisfy that addiction.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Davidson: “I hear what’s been said on your behalf about the reasons why you committed these offences, but what you did was a sustained course of very bad conduct towards your parents.
“These must have been frightening experiences for them.
“I have seen a victim impact statement from your mother that makes clear just how disturbed she was by your behaviour.”
The sheriff said there was “no alternative” to a prison sentence and jailed Davidson for 14 months.
He also imposed a five-year non-harassment order and must not have any contact with his parents.
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