A thug who robbed a partially-sighted, wheelchair-bound man at knifepoint in his own home has been jailed.
Matthew Duncan was jailed for more than four years in total after pleading guilty to a string of shocking offences.
In one incident, on May 22 last year, he barged his way into the disabled man’s home in Aberdeen city centre and threatened him and a female helper with the blade.
The 24-year-old demanded cash and searched through cupboards, and even a jacket hanging on the back of the man’s wheelchair.
He ultimately fled with bank cards, a £10 note, medication tobacco, and 15 cans of Tennent’s Lager.
‘Oh, sorry missus. I’m homeless and looking for a bed’
But after being traced and arrested, Duncan ended up being taken to hospital, where he kicked a nurse and tried to run away from officers.
And on March 31 this year committed a further string of offences, which culminated in police smashing the window of a stolen car and dragging Duncan out as he tried to speed away.
Fiscal depute Christy Ward told Aberdeen Sheriff Court he forced open a window of a flat on Leslie Road in Aberdeen in the early hours of the morning and climbed inside.
The female occupant was awoken by the noise of him opening a door and found him standing in her bedroom doorway.
Duncan said: “Oh, sorry missus. I’m homeless and looking for a bed.”
He then stole a pink purse with £3 in it before leaving.
Later at 5am the same morning Duncan entered an insecure flat on Weaver Terrace and stole two wallets from the hallway before going outside and managing to enter the occupant’s car.
The householder ran outside when he heard Duncan revving his car engine before seeing him reverse, crash into a parked car and drive away.
Duncan then drove at 50mph in a 30mph zone on Great Northern Road, and also on the wrong side of the road.
‘Hopelessly lost in the world of drug addiction’
Police traced him sitting in the car on Primrosehill Drive.
Ms Ward said: “The accused tried to drive off however police officers smashed the window and pulled the accused out of the car.”
Duncan, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to theft by housebreaking, theft, theft of a vehicle. dangerous driving, driving while only the holder of a provisional licence and without insurance, and breaching a bail curfew.
He also admitted assault and robbery over the incident involving the wheelchair-bound man, as well as possession of a knife and assaulting a nurse.
Defence agent Tony Burgess said his client was “hopelessly lost in the world of drug addiction”, adding: “He steals to fund that habit.
“The social work report indicated he acknowledged he had to address these issues in order to stop the offending cycle.”
Mr Burgess said Duncan had been clean of drugs since being remanded in prison and wished to “continue on that road when at liberty”.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan, dealing with all matters together, ordered Duncan to be jailed for three years and four months, as well as a further 277 days in relation to an unexpired portion of a previous sentence.
He also imposed a 12-month supervised release order and a 32-month driving ban.
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