A wealthy Aberdeen pensioner was violently attacked as he slept in his bed by a home invader who told him: “I’m going to kill you”.
Ashley Beckwith held a screwdriver to the 68-year-old’s neck during the terrifying ordeal.
The 33-year-old then dragged his victim through the man’s home, robbing him of luxury items including a Patek Phillipe watch worth around £20,000.
As Beckwith removed the luxury watch from his victim’s wrist, he remarked: “That watch will feed my family for a year”.
The robber also stole expensive clothes, such as Canada Goose outdoor wear and a Mont Blanc pen, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton said at around 5am on June 16 last year, the owner of a property on Devonshire Road, Aberdeen woke up feeling violent impacts to his head and became aware of a stranger sitting on him.
“The accused struck him approximately three times to the top of the head with an implement,” Mr Middleton explained.
“He placed the implement, which was a screwdriver, to the complainer’s neck and covered his mouth with his other hand.
“The accused then stated, ‘I’m going to kill you, you’ve been sleeping with my ex-girlfriend’ and, ‘Give me that watch’, gesturing to the watch on the complainer’s wrist.
“He grabbed at a necklace around the man’s neck and snapped it before smashing two nearby iPads.”
‘That watch will feed my family for a year’
Mr Middleton said the pensioner suffered a 1cm laceration to the top of his head and superficial cuts to his mouth as a result of the blow from Beckwith.
The robber then grabbed him and pulled him through the property to the living room, where he instructed him to lie on the sofa and demanded his house keys.
Beckwith soon returned with the watch and, before leaving the room, told his victim: “That watch will feed my family for a year”.
After about five minutes, the pensioner got up from the sofa and began searching his home.
He discovered a wooden board that had been covering a broken vestibule window had been unscrewed and removed.
His house keys and landline phones were lying at the foot of the front door.
Luxury items stolen
The man believed that Beckwith had entered his home through the vestibule window and left using his key, before posting it back through the letterbox.
Beckwith was seen leaving the property by bicycle and the homeowner contacted the police.
A Canada Goose jacket and gilet were taken, along with the Patek Phillipe watch, £200 in cash and a Mont Blanc pen.
The total value of the goods stolen was at least £20,756, while the damage that Beckwith caused was estimated to cost £1,800.
An evidential search warrant was granted for an address on Virginia Street, Aberdeen where it was thought that Beckwith lived.
He wasn’t home but a male at the property was wearing the same Canada Goose jacket that was missing.
The man and his partner told the police that a Canada Goose jacket and gilet had both been gifted to them by Beckwith.
‘Man was targeted because he was considered good to steal from’
Beckwith, who has previous robbery and firearms convictions, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and robbery and a second charge of robbing £500 from a till at the Marks & Spencer Cafe in Union Square, Aberdeen.
Defence solicitor Christopher Maitland told the court that his client has a “history of drug use” and that his drug problems had increased after moving to Aberdeen.
“He got himself in debt and did this to try to pay off his debtors. This man was targeted because he was considered good to steal from.
“It’s a serious offence and the court will take the view that a custodial sentence is inevitable,” Mr Maitland said.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Beckwith that a prison sentence was indeed “inevitable”.
He added: “The thing the court needs to be concerned about here is the level of risk the accused poses to the public”.
The sheriff deferred sentencing the prisoner, whose address was given as HMP Glenochil, for a criminal justice social work report and risk assessment to be carried out.
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