Under siege revellers at a Hogmanay house party were forced to barricade themselves indoors when unwelcome armed guests showed up, calling for “Dundee boys” to step outside.
Robin Green and Gary Dobbin were among a gang of drunken young men who descended on a young woman’s New Year celebration in Blairgowrie in 2019.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Dobbin had led Green to the house after he received a text from someone challenging him to a fight, claiming he was at the party.
When the pair were told there was no one from Dundee there, they flew into a rage and chased two terrified women back into the house, while armed with a broken glass bottle and a wooden pole.
Green then tried to get inside and smashed two windows, causing around £250 of damage.
Home owner on holiday
Fiscal depute Andrew Harding said the owner of the house was away and had left her daughter in charge of the two-storey property in Blairgowrie’s Upper Allan Street.
“She had been given permission to have some friends over for a party to mark Hogmanay.
“At around 1.45am, the daughter and a few of her friends were in the property when they heard voices male voices shouting outside.
“They heard a voice say: ‘Tell those f****** Dundee boys to come out’.”
Mr Harding said: “The woman, along with one of her friends, went outside and spoke to Mr Dobbin who was wielding a wooden pole.
“Mr Green was holding a broken glass bottle and continued to shout and say: ‘Get those f****** Dundee boys out here’.
“Both remained in the area for about 10 minutes.
“They were asked to leave and the woman and her friend went back inside.”
Anger grew
Mr Harding said: “At about 2am, two more people at the party went outside to speak to both accused.
“They told them there were no people from Dundee at the party, in an attempt to calm them.
“Both men appeared to become angrier at this and Mr Green attempted to enter the building via a side door.
“The accused persons chased the two women to the door, whilst wielding the broken bottle and wooden pole.
“The women did gain entry to the property and managed to barricade the door with their bodies.”
Mr Harding said there were about six people outside the house, including Green and Dobbin.
“One of the women locked the front door.
“She was in the hall when a single glazed window beside the front door was smashed.
“The outer pane of a window in the kitchen was also smashed.
“Police were called and both accused were cautioned and charged.
“They made no reply, other than Mr Dobbin who told police that he was there, but he did not smash anything.”
Green, of Gauldswell, Alyth, and Dobbin, of Davie Park Place, Blairgowrie – both aged 20 – admitted, while acting with others, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause fear or alarm, by attending at the property uninvited, adopting an aggressive demeanour, brandishing a wooden pole and glass bottle and uttering threats of violence.
Green further admitted attempting force entry and damaging windows.
Too much to drink
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, representing Dobbin, said: “He had received a text message from an acquaintance of his saying that he was attending to this particular party and challenged him to a fight.”
Mr Tavendale said his client had just turned 18 and had too much to drink that night.
Solicitor Steve Lafferty, for Green, said his client was just 17 at the time.
“It was January 1 and he had taken alcohol to excess.
“For some reason he cannot explain, he decided to assist Mr Dobbin by going up to this address, believing that in some way Mr Dobbin was in peril.
“He accepts that this was a very silly thing to do.
“It was a folly on his part.”
He added: “Clearly this is a serious incident and he is very regretful.”
Sheriff Linda Smith ordered Green to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work, while Dobbin was ordered to pay back £250 in compensation for the broken windows.
