A belligerent boxer has been jailed after mistaking a car for a taxi and threatening to fight the owners who told him it wasn’t.
Robert Mullen tried to get into the Peugeot Premier, a make of car commonly used as a taxi, on Scotstown Road in Bridge of Don.
But when the “alarmed” owners explained to him that their vehicle was not a taxi, Mullen became irate and challenged them to a fight, shouting at one of them: “Come on, big man. Let’s go”.
The 25-year-old, who unleashed a torrent of foul-mouthed and homophobic abuse, also spat on one of the witnesses.
And then the “intoxicated” boxer turned his anger on the Peugeot which he kicked, damaging a brake light and door.
‘Alarmed’ by the accused’s actions
Fiscal depute Sean Ambrose told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that the incident happened around 9.45pm on March 13 2020.
He said: “The witnesses parked their Peugeot vehicle in the car park at the locus.
“They both alighted from the vehicle, however, the accused approached the vehicle and attempted to enter via a rear passenger door.
“They were alarmed by the accused’s actions and believed the accused had mistaken the car for a taxi, due to the appearance of the vehicle.
“The witnesses informed the accused their car was not a taxi and requested he leave but he refused to do so.”
Mullen “appeared to be intoxicated” and stumbled to the rear of the car and leaned against it, the court was told.
‘Come on, big man. Let’s go’
When the witnesses again requested he move on, Mullen became “irate” and began shouting and swearing at them.
They tried to calm him down, without success, and Mullen then asked one of them if they wanted to “have a go”.
Mullen took off his high-vis jacket and began to pace in a “boxer fashion”, throwing a “series of jabs” towards the man but stopping just short of connecting.
One of the witnesses began to record Mullen’s behaviour as he taunted: “Come on, big man. Let’s go”.
He also used homophobic language and spat at a witness, hitting him in the face.
The boxer then turned his aggression towards the car itself and began kicking it, damaging a brake light and door.
On being told to leave again, Mullen spat at the man a second time, hitting his body.
The matter was then reported to the police and Mullen walked away, before he was later traced and arrested.
‘Significantly intoxicated’
Mullen, of Great Northern Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, assault and vandalism.
Defence agent Liam Mcallister said his client had recently been handed a 13-month custodial sentence over a separate matter.
He said, before that, there had been “positive signs of growth and maturity”.
Mullen had been training at a boxing gym and had teed up a number of professional bouts.
Mr Mcallister said: “That has all come to a crashing halt, given the imposition of that sentence”.
He added that Mullen accepted he was “significantly intoxicated” at the time of the offences and had little recollection.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston sent Mullen to prison for seven months.
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