Two Aberdeen men who were on a 48-hour drink and drugs bender have been sentenced for their crimes.
Kane Carter, 19, and his co-accused Jordan Lepkowski, 21, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday after earlier pleading guilty to a total of five charges.
It included attacking a man under Diamond Bridge in the city, attacking another man for drugs, and stealing food and electronic cigarettes worth £18 from a local shop.
Lepkowski, who appeared on remand for the crimes, was additionally charged with possession of a knife and brandishing the weapon at a woman during an argument.
All of their crimes took place between June 14 and June 16 last year.
‘Give me your f****** phone’
The court heard the duo first approached a man in Aberdeen at about 2pm, under Diamond Bridge, on June 14 and began assaulting him.
One made the comment “give me your f****** phone”, ahead of their attack.
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann said: “Both accused then punched and kicked the complainer repeatedly for over five minutes.”
Lepkowski would later pull out a knife, about 25cm long, and thrust it at their victim “about 10 times” in an attempt to stab him.
Their victim managed to break free and escape when a dog walker approached the scene.
The man would later tell police that Carter, whose address was given as St Machar Gardens, apologised for the attack.
The same day, Carter punched another man while Lepkowski, a current prisoner of HMP Polmont, dragged him to the ground as they shouted “give us it” and robbed him of drugs that were within his pocket.
Petty theft and more knife crime
Carter’s crime spree ended the following day, when both men stole two vapes and two sandwiches worth £18 from L & M Convenience Store on Hutcheon Street.
Lepkowski, however, would go on to attack a woman by brandishing a knife at her during an argument.
His defence agent, Caitlin Pirie, described Lepkowski as having a difficult childhood in her mitigation.
She said his parents had died when he was a toddler, and he had been in a residential care home from the age of 12.
At the time of the offences, Ms Pirie said he was living between friends’ homes because his own accommodation had become unsafe.
“He has accepted responsibility,” she added.
“He does accept he was in possession of the knife. He does accept the plea as agreed.
“He deeply, deeply regrets his behaviour.”
Paul Barnett, acting for Carter, also said his client was sorry.
“It’s certainly not lost on Mr Carter these were serious offences,” he said.
Custody for one and work for the other
Sentencing the pair, Sheriff Ian Wallace addressed both men separately.
He told Carter he would be given unpaid work as a direct alternative to time behind bars.
“You’re in a different position,” he said.
“It’s an alternative to custody. You can be rehabilitated. You consider yourself a ‘kid’ – it’s up to you to change that.”
He handed Carter 135 hours of work within the community, a 180-day curfew which will prevent him leaving his home between 7pm and 7am, and a stint of 18 months under the supervision of the social work department.
Lepkowski was not given the same reprieve.
Sheriff Wallace said: “Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
He was given 22 months and another 11 as a supervised release to “protect the public”.