A terrified mum woke up to find a stranger in her home who, when confronted, bragged he’d been “done for murder”.
Gavin Reid made the horrifying boast before following up with “you’d better watch your family” after being discovered by the woman in the early hours of the morning.
The court heard Reid, 36, had been in the Torry flats to source drugs but was attacked and robbed so sought refuge in the woman’s home.
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At around 2.50am on December 23 2020, the complainer, who resides at the locus with her children, was awakened by the noise of the front door handle and heard someone moving about within the living room.
“She got out of bed and saw the accused on the landing going into the living room.
“The accused didn’t appear to be doing anything but did appear confused and she thought he was under the influence.”
‘He’s not been done for murder’
The woman asked Reid what he was doing in her home and he replied: “I’ve been done for murder. You’d better watch your family.”
Reid then left the property in Mansefield Road and the woman contacted her ex-partner and the police, who traced him nearby.
Reid pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by entering the property uninvited and making threatening and menacing remarks to the woman.
Defence agent Kevin Longino said: “The position is that Mr Reid, unfortunately, has had substance abuse problems for many years – primarily alcohol.
“Lockdown was not kind to him. He had been doing quite well but unfortunately, during lockdown, he restarted drinking heavily.”
Mr Longino went on: “He’d gone to the building to buy drugs.
“It’s not suggested the complainer or anyone she knows was involved.
‘Must have been terrifying’
“He was set up and attacked and robbed and beaten in the building and it would appear he’d basically been trying doors, looking for somewhere to hide.
“He didn’t know who she was. He just said something to make her leave him alone.
“He’s not been done for murder.”
The solicitor explained Reid was currently remanded at HMP Grampian over a separate matter, and was using the time to detox and is “in a much better place than he was”.
He added: “He can only apologise to the lady concerned. He bears her no ill-will whatsoever.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge said the incident “must have been terrifying” for the woman.
She fined Reid, of Grampian Road, Aberdeen, £320 but, with no time to pay allocated, he was ordered to serve the alternative of 14 days in prison.
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