A thug who harassed his elderly grandmother and left her terrified has been jailed for 18 months at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Stephen Byres twice targeted 69-year-old Lilianna Nicoll at her home, close to Dundee Law.
In the first incident Mrs Nicoll had refused to let him into her home, prompting him to pick up a rock and smash one of her windows.
Then, six months later, Byres turned up at the flat at lunchtime and knocked on the door.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie told the court: “Mrs Nicoll opened the door and he immediately asked her for money.
“She refused him entry and tried to shut the door on him to prevent him (gaining) access.
“He put his foot in the door and she asked him to leave, saying she wasn’t giving him any money.
“Her 77-year-old neighbour came out and the accused’s grandmother asked her to phone police.
“She called 999 and officers could hear screaming in the background for some 11 minutes until officers arrived.
“The accused was also repeatedly heard asking her for money.
“Mrs Nicoll was very distressed and seemed relieved that the police had arrived.
“The accused told officers he wanted £10 from his grandmother and he’d leave.
“He made it very clear he wasn’t leaving until he got his £10. She repeatedly asked police to take him away.
“He was wanted on a warrant and was detained and turned to his grandmother and said if he was arrested it was because of her, and that if he got the jail it was because of her.
“He then became aggressive and struggled with officers and lunged towards her shouting ‘this is on you give me £10’.
“His grandmother burst into tears and was clearly distressed.”
The court heard that, a week after smashing his grandmother’s window, Byres had carried out a robbery on a taxi driver near to Dundee FC’s Dens Road stadium. He put his hand on John Halliburton’s neck and told him he would slit his throat if he did not hand over a £10 fare he had collected earlier.
Byres later walked into a police station and told officers: “I’ve got something to get off my chest,” before admitting the crime.
Byres, 26, a prisoner at HMP Addiewell, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of assaulting and robbing John Halliburton at Moncur Crescent, Dundee, on October 19 2014.
He further admitted a charge of vandalism, committed on October 12 2014 at his grandmother’s address, and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the same address on April 28 this year.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC jailed Byres for 18 months.