A dissatisfied customer has been handed unpaid work after assaulting and threatening to slash his cannabis dealer who he felt had “short-changed” him.
Derek Campbell “wrestled” with his dealer in an alleyway off Turriff’s High Street after a disagreement about the transaction and tried to steal his rucksack.
Eventually, the 33-year-old’s victim managed to flee into a nearby coffee shop where he sought refuge.
Campbell initially followed, making more threats and branding the man a “grass” before finally leaving.
Campbell, of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to assault to injury and attempted robbery at an earlier hearing and has now returned to the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced.
As a direct alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Andrew Miller ordered Campbell to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 18 months.
He also imposed an a conduct requirement for Campbell to engage with support services.
At the earlier hearing, fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 10.20am on March 15.
She said: “The complainer approached the accused and, as he went to shake his hand, the accused immediately pulled him towards him and said ‘give me all your f***ing weed’.
“The accused made various threats of violence that he was going to slash and stab the complainer.”
‘You’re dead’
Campbell grabbed hold of a rucksack the man was wearing and tried to remove it, causing the straps to rip.
The man fell backwards, landing on his back and was straddled by Campbell.
Nearby witnesses heard a “commotion” coming from the alleyway and the man managed to scramble to his feet and run towards a coffee shop.
Witnesses watched as both men rushed out of the alley, with Campbell clinging on to his “distressed” victim as he desperately tried to reach the coffee shop.
Ms Martin said: “The men were seen grappling with one another.
“The accused had hold of the complainer’s rucksack as if he was trying to take it from him.
“A worker in the coffee shop became aware of a loud bang at the door.
“She saw the door swing open and the complainer fell onto the floor as he entered, scrambling trying to get back up.”
Both men were shouting, with the complainer saying he’d been robbed and Campbell yelling: “You’re f***ing dead, f***ing grass.”
Campbell then left and the police were contacted.
‘The amount of drugs handed over was not what was agreed’
When traced, cautioned and arrested, Campbell replied: “This is about the weed I tried to buy just now. He isn’t making a complaint so you can’t lift me.”
He advised he had met the complainer to buy cannabis and, denying the assault, claimed they had just been “wrestling”.
He insisted it was the complainer who had tried to rob him as he had “paid for the drugs”.
Defence agent Stuart Flowerdew said his client had turned to cannabis due to mental health struggles surrounding issues with child contact.
Regarding the offence, he said: “They had been in touch with each other to arrange a meeting where my client would pay over money in exchange for cannabis.
“My understanding is that the amount of drugs handed over was not what was agreed.
“That led to an argument and attempt to take the rucksack.”
Mr Flowerdew said Campbell had felt “short-changed”.
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