Two brothers abducted a pair of men who were forced to get into their car as they were robbed at knifepoint, a court has been told.
Joseph, 46, and Harry Merchant, 42, targeted the men, who were walking along the Spital in Aberdeen, and threatened to stab the pair if they didn’t get into the car.
The victims were forced to hand over their belongings – including phones, wallets, watches and a jacket – before they were dropped off nearby.
But the bumbling brothers were soon caught after one of them left their DNA on a wallet they handed back to a victim, and a stolen Apple watch was tracked to an address on Urquhart Road.
Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAlister told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that the incident happened at 12.15am on September 18 last year.
At the time, the victims were walking home along the Spital after socialising at a friend’s house.
Mr McAlister said: “During their walk home, a red car came out of a side street and pulled over beside them.
“They heard a male voice state something similar to, ‘We have got a knife. Get in or we’ll stab you’.”
Three men were visible in the car, with Harry Merchant in the front passenger seat holding a “metal implement” around six to eight inches long, which he pointed at the men.
Another male, seated in the rear of the car, pointed a “long object” at the pair and was heard to say: “Get in or we’re coming out”.
‘Give me what you’ve got’
The two victims were “shocked” and did as they were ordered and got into the vehicle.
The first complainer tried to open the back door but it was locked, the court was told.
Harry Merchant then ordered the second complainer to “give him everything”.
He handed over his iPhone, Apple watch, wallet – containing all his bank cards – and his North Face jacket.
Harry Merchant then turned to the first victim, grabbed his neck and “placed a cold metal item to his neck,” before demanding: “Give me what you’ve got”.
The man tried to reason with him, pleading: “Can we calm down and speak like humans?”
Joseph Merchant, who was driving the car, then stated words similar to “give him your things as he’s been somewhere”.
Harry Merchant threatened to put the metal item into the first complainer’s face before the third man, who has not been identified, began patting down his pockets and took his iPhone.
The car stopped on Urquhart Place and both of the victims were told to get out.
Joseph Merchant then rolled down the window and gave the second complainer his jacket and wallet back.
They later reported the incident to the police.
‘Great sorrow’
The second victim told police that his stolen Apple watch was showing as active in the vicinity of an address on Urquhart Road.
When officers spoke to witnesses there, who had the watch, they were informed it had been given to them by Harry Merchant.
Mr McAlister said: “Further forensic investigations confirmed that Joseph Merchant’s DNA was on the wallet that was stolen”.
Both Merchants pled guilty to two charges of abduction, assault and robbery.
Joseph Merchant, of St Fitticks Road in Aberdeen, also admitted two further charges – one of assault and robbery and one of assault to injury and robbery.
Defence agent Liam Mcallister, representing Joseph Merchant, asked for sentencing to be deferred on his client for background reports.
He added: “The art and part role he plays is a lesser one. The difficulty he has is there are separate matters that don’t involve his brother”.
‘Heavy drug intoxication’
Solicitor Kevin Longino, representing Harry Merchant, said his client had shown “great sorrow” over the incident.
He said: “He fully accepts he’s entirely responsible. His memory of what occurred is not good due to heavy drug intoxication at the time”.
Mr Longino explained the metal implement Harry Merchant had was in fact an allen key.
The solicitor said his client was clean of opiates for the first time in his adult life, having developed a drug addiction as a teenager as a reaction to incidents during his childhood.
He added it was accepted only a custodial sentence could be imposed in the case.
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin deferred sentence on Harry Merchant, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, and Joseph Merchant until next month.
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