Man is jailed for robbery and assault

A man was jailed yesterday after attacking another man who was targeted over so-called legal highs.

Denzel Bruce claimed he knew his victim Edward Rodrigues due to seeing him working in a shop selling psychoactive substances before the drugs became illegal.

He turned up at his home on Gillespie Crescent in Aberdeen on May 20 2015 with another man and assaulted his victim as soon as he opened the front door.

The 24-year-old admitted the offence during an earlier appearance at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and returned yesterday to be sentenced.

Bruce, of Baira Way in Montrose, was jailed for nine months for the assault and robbery and was also fined £400.

The two men forced their way in and attacked Mr Rodrigues.

They demanded psychoactive substances but Bruce claimed they were told by their victim he did not have any and no longer worked at the shop.

The pair then made off with a laptop, three watches and a mobile phone.

A neighbour heard the disturbance and contacted the police and officers traced the pair nearby.

Bruce insisted it was the unidentified man who had a problem with the victim.

He also told officers where the items could be found and they were recovered.

He also admitted threatening the new boyfriend of his former partner on February 28 the following year.

The court heard he rang him repeatedly and threatened to kill him.

Defence lawyer Chris Maitland claimed his client had changed his ways and had a job lined up in Glasgow which he was due to start soon.