Published: Wednesday, 2nd April, 2008 10:00
‘Gangster’ wannabes shock at jail sentence
By Court Reporter
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JAIL: Tait
TWO suited and booted “wannabe gangsters” did not look so tough after they were both jailed last week.
Michael Tait, 22, will miss the birth of his third child after being sent down for two years four months and two weeks.
His pal, Robert Drysdale, 20, was dealt the same fate.
The pair viciously attacked their victim over a missing “£9,000 drug stash”.
SENTENCED: Drysdale
Drysdale and Tait originally faced trial for abduction, but after a plea bargain admitted to reduced charges of serious assault.
But when they were sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Wednesday, the pair stood silent and shocked.
Tait’s girlfriend meanwhile — who is due to give birth to their child in July — had to be comforted by his brothers.
The thugs previously admitted assaulting their victim by punching and kicking him to the head to his severe injury and demanding to know the whereabouts of a quantity of valium.
But when they appeared on indictment on Wednesday to be sentenced, both Tait and Drysdale claimed they could not remember making the demands.
Instead they said the attack was the result of a fallout over money between the victim and Drysdale’s mother, who were lovers at the time.
Tait and Drysdale had burst into the flat in Ellinger Court, Dalmuir, on March 15 last year and attacked the victim — who was lying drunk on the sofa — demanding to know where a quantity of valium was.
It was alleged that 1,000 valium tablets had been found within the flat and a further 8,000 had been found elsewhere — the street value for the drug is around £1 a tablet.
No one faced charges over the class C drugs.
At a previous hearing, the court heard that during a police interview the pair were branded “wannabe gangsters” by cops who asked if Tait had been watching “too many Tarantino movies”.
On Wednesday, Drysdale’s lawyer said that the 20-year-old was drunk when he carried out the attack.
He said: “He is aware of the seriousness of the matter and is under no illusion that the court will be considering a custodial sentence.”
Tait’s lawyer attempted to paint a picture of a “good family man” who did his bit for charity.
He produced two testimonials — one from his employer and another from Falkirk FC where he was a coach.
The lawyer said: “He comes from a good background with a supportive family who are in court today.
“He has two children, aged two and one, and another one due in July. In relation to alcohol and drugs there are no addiction difficulties.
“He has instructed me to apologise for any ill-effect this has had on [the victim].”
Sheriff William Dunlop adjourned to consider sentencing for more than 30 minutes.
On his return, he blasted the duo for taking advantage of a man who was drunk and vulnerable.
He said: “There is no doubt that the libel has been considerably reduced and had I been dealing with that I would have been sending you both to the High Court.
“The blows you accepted responsibility for were to the head — there was a very real danger.
“You admitted this assault, whilst demanding to know the whereabouts of a quantity of drugs, so I consider the appropriate sentence three years.”
The sheriff then discounted the sentence to take into account the guilty pleas and the time they had both been on remand for the assault.
Drysdale, of flat 9, 150 Second Avenue, and Tait, of 7 Delhi Avenue, Dalmuir, were sentenced to two years, four months and two weeks each in jail, backdated to March 3.
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