A knife-wielding thug who chased four men down an Angus street days after being released from prison has been placed back behind bars.
Ben Kelbie, 21, launched the cocaine and Valium-induced attack in Arbroath after claiming one of the men had been filming him the previous day.
Kelbie had been released from detention just five days before the incident, Dundee Sheriff Court was told.
He has now been handed another jail term after pleading guilty to chasing the men on June 6 2020.
It was previously revealed how Liam Milne and Leon Knight walked past Kelbie’s home on Mayfield Terrace at 5.30pm and he asked them if they took drugs. Kelbie had been in his garden drinking vodka.
The pair said they did not take drugs and ignored Kelbie’s attempts to engage in conversation before walking to nearby shops.
Fifteen minutes later, two other men, Lewis Gray and Harris Johnston, walked past Kelbie’s home, where Mr Gray was accused of filming him the previous day.
Kelbie went into his home and armed himself with a knife.
‘I’ll slash your face’
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion said: “The accused ran into his house and came out carrying a knife in his left hand.
“The men feared for their safety and ran towards the shops where the others were standing.
“Lewis Gray shouted ‘what are you doing?’ and the accused replied ‘I’ll slash your face’.
“They continued to run away from the accused, who was pursuing them. They managed to outrun the accused, who returned to his home.”
Kelbie was later confronted by one of the men’s mother and sister. He was heard to say: “I’ll do what the f*** I want.”
Police were contacted and found Kelbie in the grounds of Arbroath Academy, where they arrested him.
Kelbie, a prisoner of HMP Perth, pled guilty to repeatedly shouting and threatening violence towards Lewis Gray, brandishing a knife at him and Harris Johnston and pursuing them.
He also admitted pursuing Leon Knight and Liam Milne while holding the knife, on June 6 on Mayfield Terrace, Arbroath.
Drug use led to memory loss
Solicitor Sarah Russo told Sheriff Alastair Carmichael: “He returned to Arbroath and he met up with one of his former acquaintances. He went back and used cocaine and a number of Valium tablets.
“He has very little recollection of events and he does appreciate how frightening an experience this must have been.”
When sentencing Kelbie, Sheriff Carmichael said: “You were under the influence of drugs at that time and that’s no excuse that almost makes it worse. A custodial sentence is inevitable here in this case.”
Kelbie was jailed for 18 months.
