Gambler smashed up bookies after losing a month's wages
Published 24 May 2013
Father of three David Brogan lost £700 in a matter of hours before returning to the William Hill shop armed with a hammer.
Two terrified staff members at the Radnor Street premises ran for cover as the raging 26-year-old began his trail of destruction.
Brogan, of Crown Avenue, paid the price for his outrageous behaviour when he appeared in the dock at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week after having pled guilty at an earlier hearing.
Fiscal depute Julie O'Hara told the court furious Brogan, who was a regular at the bookies, walked into the store shortly after 8pm on September 7 last year.
A customer service assistant and the store manager looked on in astonishment as the crazed man raised the hammer above his head and began his rampage.
She said: "They recognised a male customer who had been in the shop earlier that day and had lost some money on the roulette machines. He made his way towards the machine and started to smash the front glass screens of the machines. Once the accused had smashed up the machine he moved onto another machine and repeated his actions.
"The witnesses made their way into the rear of the shop and locked the door. They could hear the accused smashing the machines and a few minutes later they heard him leaving the shop."
Brogan destroyed four machines in total, causing over £1800 worth of damage.
Police were called but Brogan could not be traced at the time, however, a few days later staff contacted the police to tell them they had managed to identify the man responsible.
His defence agent Angela Millane told the court Brogan, who is a glass cutter by trade, was hooked on gambling and on the day in question he had also been drinking. She said his family was finding it hard to cope with his gambling addiction which had caused him to spend a month's wages in one afternoon.
She said he was "repentant and disgusted" by his behaviour and was trying to turn his life around, adding: "He is an extremely pleasant man and is ashamed of his behaviour. He is extremely sorry."
Sheriff Simon Fraser told Brogan: "I can understand your frustration at your stupidity at gambling away £700 in an afternoon but that does not entitle you to smash up other people's property."
He imposed a community payback order with a 12 month supervision requirement and ordered Brogan to complete 150 hours unpaid work within four months. Sheriff Fraser also told him to pay William Hill compensation of £1850 to cover the cost of the damage.
http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2013/05/24/458259-gambler-smashed-up-bookies-after-losing-a-months-wages/
A GAMBLING addict smashed up four gaming machines in a Clydebank bookies after blowing a month's wages in one afternoon.
Father of three David Brogan lost £700 in a matter of hours before returning to the William Hill shop armed with a hammer.
Two terrified staff members at the Radnor Street premises ran for cover as the raging 26-year-old began his trail of destruction.
Brogan, of Crown Avenue, paid the price for his outrageous behaviour when he appeared in the dock at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week after having pled guilty at an earlier hearing.
Fiscal depute Julie O'Hara told the court furious Brogan, who was a regular at the bookies, walked into the store shortly after 8pm on September 7 last year.
A customer service assistant and the store manager looked on in astonishment as the crazed man raised the hammer above his head and began his rampage.
She said: "They recognised a male customer who had been in the shop earlier that day and had lost some money on the roulette machines. He made his way towards the machine and started to smash the front glass screens of the machines. Once the accused had smashed up the machine he moved onto another machine and repeated his actions.
"The witnesses made their way into the rear of the shop and locked the door. They could hear the accused smashing the machines and a few minutes later they heard him leaving the shop."
Brogan destroyed four machines in total, causing over £1800 worth of damage.
Police were called but Brogan could not be traced at the time, however, a few days later staff contacted the police to tell them they had managed to identify the man responsible.
His defence agent Angela Millane told the court Brogan, who is a glass cutter by trade, was hooked on gambling and on the day in question he had also been drinking. She said his family was finding it hard to cope with his gambling addiction which had caused him to spend a month's wages in one afternoon.
She said he was "repentant and disgusted" by his behaviour and was trying to turn his life around, adding: "He is an extremely pleasant man and is ashamed of his behaviour. He is extremely sorry."
Sheriff Simon Fraser told Brogan: "I can understand your frustration at your stupidity at gambling away £700 in an afternoon but that does not entitle you to smash up other people's property."
He imposed a community payback order with a 12 month supervision requirement and ordered Brogan to complete 150 hours unpaid work within four months. Sheriff Fraser also told him to pay William Hill compensation of £1850 to cover the cost of the damage.
http://www.clydebankpost.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2013/05/24/458259-gambler-smashed-up-bookies-after-losing-a-months-wages/
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment