A “large and shambling drunk man” has been jailed after appearing at a stranger’s window asking to be let in, and then asking children for money.
Gareth Sands – wine bottle in hand – shocked one woman by suddenly appearing at her living room window while she was exercising.
After banging on the glass and asking to be allowed inside, Sands was sent packing by the woman, who didn’t know him but was aware he’d been living next door for around a fortnight.
Unfazed by woman’s reaction to him, the 41-year-old wandered off and approached two 12-year-old girls at a nearby playground, offering them alcohol and vapes and asking them for money.
‘Not intended to cause fear or distress’
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the first incident happened around 1.15pm on 31 August 2022 when Sands approached an address in Huntly.
She said: “The complainer was exercising in her living room when the accused presented at the window and began knocking, asking to be let inside.
“At this time the accused was carrying a bottle of wine and appeared intoxicated.”
Sands was asked to leave but instead walked towards the woman’s front door, which was closed but not locked.
Again he was asked to leave and this time he did.
Ms Laird said: “She was aware of the accused, who had been staying next door for the last two weeks but he was otherwise not known to her.”
Just five minutes later, Sands, whose wine bottle was now empty, spotted two young girls at a nearby playground.
He approached the 12-year-olds, said “hi girls” and asked if they wanted alcohol or vapes.
The children declined and Sands told them he “needed money to get home”.
When the girls advised they didn’t have any money, he walked away.
Sands, of Gallowhill Terrace, Aberdeen, pled guilty to two charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Sands’ intention had been to be ‘friendly’
He also admitted two charges of shoplifting from BP petrol station on Wellheads Road, Dyce, stealing alcohol on both April 27 and May 1 this year.
Sands further pled guilty to breaching an antisocial behaviour order.
Defence agent John Hardie said his client had an issue with crack cocaine and that his offending is either motivated by the desire to obtain money for the drug or impacted by being under the influence of it.
He said Sands comes across as “intelligent” and is a “pleasure” to deal with when sober, but the offences were committed while he was “heavily under the influence of alcohol”.
Mr Hardie continued: “Behaving in this manner was not intended to cause fear or distress.”
He explained that while Sands is often intending to be “friendly” because he presents as a “large and shambling drunk man”, he does not always come across as intended.
Sheriff Eric Brown, taking into account that Sands had already spent three weeks in custody for the threatening and abusive behaviour charges, jailed him for a further 10 weeks for that.
He also imposed a three-month prison term for the shoplifting and ASBO offences to run concurrently.
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