A nephew who smashed every window in his uncle’s Elgin home during a drug-fuelled rage has been spared jail.
Gary Sim threw paving slabs at his relative’s house on Beechfield Road after a long-standing rift between the pair.
And yesterday the 30-year-old was ordered to carry out unpaid work after Elgin Sheriff Court heard he took 50 diazepam tablets just hours before lashing out.
Defence solicitor Lee Qumsieh said: “He has had difficulty with his uncle for a long time but nothing has happened recently.
“I’m not putting it forward as an excuse, but he can’t remember what happened that night.”
Kevin Grant was woken shortly before midnight on July 22 when a flower pot was thrown his bedroom window.
After getting out of bed the Elgin resident recognised his nephew shouting from outside saying he was going to “get inside” and “get him”.
And when Mr Grant went into the kitchen two paving slabs came smashing through the window.
Fiscal depute Alison Wylie said: “I understand he went away for a brief period but came back and threw yet more paving slabs through the every window in the property while continuing to shout at Mr Grant.
“When police arrived at the property Sim admitted he had smashed the window and held his hands out in preparation of being handcuffed.”
Sim previously admitted acting in a culpable and reckless manner when he appeared in court during an earlier appearance.
Mr Qumsieh explained his client had been having trouble sleeping and had bought a “significant” amount of diazepam to try to solve the problem.
The solicitor said: “He accepts he has gone the wrong way about it by self-medicating.”
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov said: “Prison has been tried several times with you and it has not worked. I’m prepared to allow you an opportunity to serve your sentence in the community.”
Sim, whose address was given in court papers as being a prisoner at Inverness Prison, was put under supervision for 18 months and sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work.
