A sledgehammer-wielding dad who believed “black people” were selling drugs to his stepdaughter told police he was going to “smash their heads in”.
William Milton – himself a drug addict – armed himself with the weapon and roamed around the Hilton area of Aberdeen asking if there were “any black people about”.
The furious 43-year-old believed people had been selling drugs to his stepdaughter and “wanted to do something about it”, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann said alarmed Powis Terrace residents called police to report him at around 10.45pm on October 10 this year.
“Members of the public called 999 to report that he was at the locus with a sledgehammer and whilst walking the area he was asking if there were any black people about because he intended to smash their heads in,” he said.
‘I was going to smash their heads in’
When police arrested Milton, he told officers: “I was going to get those darky drug dealers and smash their heads in.”
The addict was convinced that dealers in the area had been selling drugs to his relative knowing how his own life had been blighted by drugs and alcohol, his defence agent said.
Solicitor George Mathers told the court: “The condition he was in at the time was similar to the case of other previous convictions, in that he has, since his teens, been involved with drugs.
“Less serious drugs which moved on to more serious drugs.”
He said his client was clean for eight years but had struggled again since 2015 and was under the influence at the time of the sledgehammer incident.
“He was aware that black drug dealers had been dealing drugs to his stepdaughter,” Mr Mathers said.
‘He wanted to do something about it’
“He was furious about this knowing the way drugs had affected him in his own life.
“He wanted to do something about it.
“Of course, he went about it totally the wrong way by going and getting a sledgehammer.”
“Drugs and alcohol have blighted his life,” Mr Mathers added.
The court heard Milton was not receiving anywhere near his full benefits at the time of the incident, getting £8 rather than £400 per month, and was a registered carer for his mother.
Milton, of Granton Place, Aberdeen, admitted behaving in a racially-aggravated threatening or abusive manner as well as possession of a weapon.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin handed him 90 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month supervision order.
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