Three masked raiders robbed four terrified teenage boys at gunpoint as they camped in Dundee’s Baldragon Wood, a court heard.
Adam Parkin, Liam Scott, and Kieran McIntyre donned camouflage gear and put on fake English accents before threatening the youngsters and making off with cash, phones and cigarettes.
A court heard how ringleader Parkin told one 15-year-old he would “blow his head off” if he didn’t leave his tent, before pressing the barrel of an airgun to his victim’s head.
Parkin warned the boys that if he read about the incident in the newspapers he would “hunt them down and kill them”.
The trio, who were caught after one of the victims was tipped off three months later about Parkin’s involvement, were released on bail ahead of sentencing next month.
Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court that the four boys, then aged between 14 and 15, were camping near Clatto Reservoir and had been woken up around midnight by rustling noises and branches breaking outside the tent.
After hearing whispering and seeing torchlights, one boy heard their backpacks, which were lying outside being opened and believed someone was rummaging through their property.
Miss Robertson said: “A torch was shone into the tent and Liam Scott said, in what they believed was an English accent, words similar to “are you getting up then?”
“Adam Parkin, also speaking in an English accent, said: ‘Get out of the tent’.
“Three of the boys exited the tent. One was still sleeping and remained in the tent at this point.
“Adam Parkin, who was holding a torch in their faces and pointing a rifle towards them said words similar to “run and you will get shot.”
“Parkin told all three to sit down on small rocks.
“He walked over to the tent and saw the boy still asleep within and said: ‘I’m giving you 30 seconds to get out of there or I’ll blow your head off.”
“The boy stated his phone was within the tent and Parkin told McIntyre and Scott to enter the tent and look for phone.
“Parkin then pressed the barrel of the gun into the back of the boy’s head and told him to ‘go and get your phone’.”
After the boys handed over their possessions Parkin told them to go into their tent and that they were not allowed to leave the area until sunrise, or “they would be shot.”
Miss Robertson said: “The boys described the incident as ‘shocking’, saying they were ‘in fear for their lives’, ‘shaken’, ‘terrified’ and ‘frightened’.”
McIntyre, 20, Campbell Street, Scott, 19, Eden Street and Parkin, 19, St Dennis Terrace admitted demanding the four boys exit their tent, shining a torch into their faces, presenting air rifles at them, threatening them with violence and robbing them of mobile phones, money and cigarettes at Baldragon Wood between March 7 and March 8 last year.
Parkin and Scott also admitted possessing air rifles on the same date.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond deferred sentence until November 24 for reports, telling the three accused: “This is a truly horrifying and terrifying set of circumstances.”