A dangerous thug jailed for knifing a shopkeeper then arrested again for brandishing a blade at his ex-girlfriend has been given additional time behind bars for having a phone in jail.
Graham Elrick admitted being in possession of a mobile phone while in prison when he appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court yesterday.
He is currently serving a sentence at HMP Grampian for behaving in a threatening manner towards his ex-girlfriend by shouting and swearing at an address in Keith.
He also shouted, swore, brandished a knife and punched a car during the incident on November 23, 2017.
It happened just months after he was released from jail for attacking Kwok Fong with a kitchen knife in a robbery at Key Stores on Summerfield Terrace, Aberdeen.
The 32-year-old, from Fraserburgh, was described as a “career criminal” as he was jailed.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter
Yesterday, Peterhead Sheriff Court heard the phone had been found on May 25 last year when Elrick’s sister was visiting him in jail.
Procurator fiscal Ruaridh McAllister said: “During the visit, he told her that he had something to pass to her.
“Prison staff were suspicious and expected something had been passed between the sister and himself.”
Staff then searched Elrick and found a mobile phone.
Mr McAllister added: “He told staff he tried to pass it to his sister to take it out.”
Defence agent Iain Jane told the court Elrick was given the phone “to hold” by another prisoner and did not tell staff out of fear they “wouldn’t believe him”.
Passing it to his sister was the plan to “not get into trouble” but it was seen by the officers and almost immediately the meeting was stopped and the search carried out.
Sheriff Christine McCrossan added a further two months to Elrick’s existing sentence, meaning he will not be released until 2021.