An Aberdeen teenager who smashed up a taxi windscreen with garden furniture because he was unable to pay his fare has been electronically tagged.
Brandon Phillips, 19, had taken a return journey through Aberdeen and handed over his mobile phone to the driver on the understanding he would ultimately pay the cab fare.
However, when the taxi driver returned Phillips to his home address he was unable to foot the bill and used his jacket as payment.
But when the driver refused to return his mobile phone Phillips grabbed a garden chair and began to repeatedly batter it against his windscreen, causing £200 in damage.
Phillips, who has a number of previous convictions, also admitted a charge of being in the supply of over 1,000 Etizolam tablets with a maximum value of more than £1,100.
Accused handed over phone as ‘collateral’
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told the court that at around 10pm on April 4 last year the taxi driver picked up Phillips on Berryden Road, Aberdeen.
“The accused got into the vehicle and requested that he go to Holburn Street and advised the driver that this would be a return journey,” she said.
“The driver accepted the request but insisted that the accused put up some sort of collateral.
“The accused handed over his mobile phone, which the driver stored in his left jacket pocket.”
The taxi driver took Phillips to Holburn Street and waited for him to return.
When Phillips arrived back the driver requested the money for the fare before he was allowed to re-enter the vehicle.
Ms Thompson stated: “The accused then offered him his jacket, which was accepted by the driver.
£200 damage to windscreen
“When the parties arrived back at the original address the accused immediately left the vehicle and went into to a block of flats.
“As the driver got out of his vehicle the accused returned and began demanding the return of his mobile phone – which the driver refused.”
Phillips disappeared but soon came back holding a broken garden chair, which he used to rain down repeated blows on the windscreen.
The teenager was also seen swinging the chair around before brandishing it at the driver and then smashing it off the windscreen.
Ms Thompson said the total damage to the windscreen was £200.
Phillips pleaded guilty to one charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by brandishing a garden chair and a second charge of recklessly damaging the windscreen.
He admitted a further charge of being concerned in the supply of 1,100 Etizolam tablets and breaching his bail conditions on two consecutive days.
‘This has brought home what he faces if he does not mend his ways’
Defence agent David Sutherland told the court that, as a result of these offences, Phillips had spent some time on remand.
“This has brought home what he faces if he does not mend his ways,” Mr Sutherland said.
“His family want him back home, but the test will be if when he gets home will he engage with the services offered to him.
“He is at a crossroads in his life and I ask the court to give him a chance to do what he says he will do.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Phillips she had considered his case “very, very carefully”.
She added: “Given your young age, I’m going to give you an opportunity to see if you can comply with the community payback order you are currently subject to.
“If you come back to court and you have not been complying with the order or if you’ve been committing any offences then I will have no choice but to impose a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Johnston placed Phillips, of Ash Hill Drive, Aberdeen, on a curfew and ordered him to be electronically tagged.
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