Masked bottle attacked in locked up for 27 months

Jul 21 2011 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

A WOULD-BE robber who threatened a man with a bottle has been imprisoned for over two years.

Keith Anderson attacked Steven Youngson in Whitehill Road, Hamilton, in front of police officers in April this year.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to assault and attempted robbery when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday.

He admitted assaulting Mr Youngson (33), by holding him against a wall, brandishing a bottle at him and demanding money, as well as attempting to rob him.

Anderson – whose address was given as Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution – also admitted having his face masked during the attack, which took place on April 1.

However, the Crown accepted Anderson’s not guilty plea to assaulting police constables Graham Lowe, Emma Mark and Gail Foote by uttering threats and brandishing a bottle at them on the same date.

Last week, fiscal depute Barry Dunne told court that police had spotted Anderson and a group of people in Whitehill Road at around 9.40pm that evening.

The officers – who were on mobile patrol – saw him with three others as they passed in the police vehicle.

Mr Dunne said that the police witnesses turned back and returned to find Anderson pinning the complainer to a wall there and brandishing a bottle at him, in an apparent attempt to rob him.

Police attended immediately, he said, and Anderson was arrested.

Defence solicitor Robert Sheridan, of Nicholas J. Scullion and Co, explained that the situation arose after his client’s “difficulties with”, and misuse of, alcohol that evening.

“Before this incident,” said Mr Sheridan, “Mr Anderson had abstained from drinking alcohol for a period of seven months, and at that time he had been in a relationship with his girlfriend.

“They had then fallen out, and he held the belief that the relationship was at an end. He turned to alcohol, and he had had quite a bit to drink that day.

“He was en route to his friend’s house when the incident occurred, and 10 minutes prior to that, he had lost a wallet contained £80.”

Mr Sheridan said that this had “irritated” him, which then had an effect on what followed when he encountered Mr Youngson.

The solicitor continued: “He accepts responsibility for his actions and that he must learn his lesson at some point.

“He has spent some time in custody and he intends to mull things over.”

Mr Sheridan added: “He will take every effort to address his behaviour as well as his alcohol dependency.”

Sheriff David Bicket noted that Anderson’s latest conviction was the fourth instance of a similar type of offending.

He said: “I can’t deal with this in any way other than a custodial sentence.

“It appears to me that only a substantial sentence will do.”

Because of the serious nature sof Anderson’s offending, Sheriff Bicket sentenced him to 27 months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution.

The sentence will be backdate to April 4, to reflect time already spent in custody.