A cleaner has been jailed after barging into vulnerable people’s homes, assaulting them and then demanding money.
Joseph Bowman was “out of his face on drugs” when he, along with unidentified accomplices, turned up at his victims’ homes and used violence and intimidation to rob them.
The 33-year-old – who knew his victims having cleaned their homes in the past – bit one man on the head when he told him he didn’t have any money and struck the second with a pool cue.
He even threatened to kill the second victim if he didn’t hand over money, before raking through his pockets and drawers to recover £3.50.
Fiscal depute Carol Gammie told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Bowman’s first victim was a “vulnerable” 48-year-old who lived alone at a property in Aberdeen.
‘I’m going to kill you if you don’t give me money’
In the early hours of December 1, he was at home when a male who he “recognised but did not know” knocked on the door.
The male asked for money and, when the complainer advised he had none, threatened him and walked past him into the house.
A smashing sound was then heard from the bedroom and Bowman was seen climbing through a broken window into the address.
The complainer was unable to stop Bowman entering and the intruder then also asked him for money and his bank details.
Bowman repeatedly punched the man in the stomach, then picked up his mobile and warned he would “do his head in” if he called the police.
The vulnerable man repeatedly told both men he had no money and Bowman began to collect items including the mobile phone, a laptop, a CD tower, a TV cable and an Xbox 360.
Bowman again asked the man for his bank details and, when he refused, “bit him on the top of his head”.
The man then gave Bowman’s accomplice his bank card to prove he had no money and he left for a short period before returning and giving him his card back.
‘He is utterly disgusted at what he has allowed himself to do’
Their victim was uninjured despite being punched and bitten.
Bowman’s second victim was also described as “vulnerable” and was targeted on December 3, the day of his 69th birthday, while home alone in Aberdeen.
At 10pm he answered the door to a woman who said her name was “Lauren”. Despite not knowing her, he allowed her in, only for Bowman and another unidentified male to walk into the property as well.
All four went into the living room, where Bowman asked the man for £10.
When he explained he didn’t have any money, Bowman told him he’d seen him leaving the bank earlier that day and “was aware that he was in possession of money”.
The man continued to deny having any money, at which point Bowman warned: “I swear on my dead brother’s life I’m going to kill you if you don’t give me money.”
Bowman then began searching through the man’s trouser and jacket pockets and removed £3 in loose change.
He then started rummaging through kitchen drawers and managed to find around 50p in change.
Unhappy with his haul, Bowman grabbed a broken pool cue and struck the vulnerable man to the left shin with it.
‘He had fallen back into serious drug abuse’
The trio then left, taking the man’s house keys with them.
The man later told a neighbour and a support worker what had happened and police were contacted.
Bowman pled guilty to assault and robbery over the first incident and assault to injury and robbery over the second.
Defence agent Tony Burgess told the court: “He is utterly disgusted at what he has allowed himself to do.
“He knows these people. He’s done some work for them cleaning their houses and the like.
“Shortly before the incidents, he had fallen back into serious drug abuse and his position to me was he could remember nothing.
“In his words, he was ‘so out of his face on drugs’ he simply doesn’t remember a whole period around the dates of this offence.
“Because of that, really there’s very little I can say in terms of mitigation.”
Mr Burgess said his client had expressed genuine “regret and disgust” and was “extremely apologetic”.
Sheriff Philip Mann ordered Bowman, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, to be returned to jail for nine months in relation to an unexpired portion of a previous sentence and jailed him for a further 21 months and one week in relation to the new offences.
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