Fire-raising thug jailed for 'catalogue of crime' in the Borders

Shane Donnelly (27) carried out brutal attacks and took part in starting a blaze at flats during a spate of lawlessness in the Scottish Borders, which included carrying out “hits” for a drug dealer.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday: “You became involved in carrying out ‘hits’ for a drug dealer. Your behaviour was deliberate and vicious.”

Lady Ross added: “You are no stranger to violence. You have a very bad record of previous convictions.”

Donnelly had already amassed more than 50 convictions in Scotland and England including crimes of violence, disorder and arson.

His latest crimes began when he launched an attack on a stranger at bus stance in the village of St Boswells on October 4 last year and fractured his jaw.

Advocate depute Kirsten Cockburn said the victim had been working that evening before he went to a friend’s party and then to a bus stop to meet his sister. He became aware of a black car nearby and Donnelly and another man got out of the vehicle.

The prosecutor said: “The accused and the other male were completely unknown to the complainer. The other man asked the stranger: ‘Are you selling?’. The victim said he was not selling anything and Donnelly responded: ‘Are you sure you are not selling anything?’”

The man said he was waiting for his sister and Donnelly punched him on the head, before the other male told him: “Mate, if I was you I'd run.”

The assault victim ran around a corner and contacted his sister and police. When she met her brother he was in a lot of pain and bleeding from his mouth. He was found to have displaced fractures to his jaw and underwent surgery.

Lady Ross said it was “a shameful and brutal” attack on a stranger who was simply waiting for his sister.

Donnelly then went to a takeaway restaurant in Galashiels on October 4 and began shouting at the owner. He threatened: “If anyone contacted the police, stop. They won't find out where I am. I will come back and ruin your shop and ruin lives. I have just dealt with one person and I'll deal with you next.”

He then went to Indigo nightclub in Galashiels, accompanied by another male, and began making comments to two of front of door staff, threatening to stab them.

He said: “Are we going to stab these f---ers or not.” He also said: “What are you wanting to do, are we stabbing them or not?”

On October 8 last year, in the early hours of the morning, an HGV driver was walking to his parked vehicle in Hawick when he noticed a van drive past him. Donnelly emerged from the van wearing dark clothing, with a hood and his face covered, along with an accomplice.

As the driver was setting off in his lorry he saw flames coming from a block of flats at Galalaw Road.

The advocate depute said: “He saw the same two males he had seen earlier appearing a little panic stricken, with a line of fire going in multiple directions from the block of flats.”

Firefighters attended and it was discovered that the fire was started by pouring accelerant through windows. Occupants required to be evacuated from five flats.

Donnelly struck again on October 10 when he turned up at a house in Glendinning Terrace, in Galashiels, with others. One of the occupants, a 20-year-old man, answered a knock on the door to be confronted by strangers and was punched in the face.

He was dragged through to the living room, placed in a choke hold and forced to his knees. A piano stool was smashed across his back and he was struck on the arms and head with a Stanley knife.

The other occupant, a 32-year-old man, was also struck with a knife and kicked down stairs. The intruders left after robbing the victims of a phone, bank cards and a pair of trainers.

On November 6 last year, Donnelly turned up at the home of a couple in Selkirk and claimed their son was “due a lot of money to two dealers in Ireland”.

The prosecutor said: “He went on to state that they were coming over at the weekend to ‘collect’ the outstanding debt of £2000. The accused then showed a picture of a male who had been ‘sliced up’ for not paying a debt.”

She said Donnelly told them he would return to see if the debt had been paid. Police were contacted.

Donnelly earlier admitted committing six of the offences committed in less than a week in October last year, with the final crime occurring a month later.

He admitted assaulting a man on October 4 last year to his severe injury and impairment, and admitted assaulting the door staff while acting with others to their severe injury and permanent disfigurement and robbing them on October 10.

He also pleaded guilty to wilfully setting fire to windows and a door at the flats in Hawick on October 8 last year while acting with another. And he admitted driving a van at Morrison’s petrol station in Mart Street, Hawick, on October 7 while disqualified from holding a licence.

He further admitted behaving in a threatening way at the takeaway and nightclub in Galashiels on October 4 last year and at the house in Selkirk on November 6.

Defence counsel Victoria Dow said: “He had, in the lead up to the offences, been suffering a significant deterioration in his mental health.”

Lady Ross ordered that Donnelly should be under supervision in the community for a further four years when he will be on licence and can be returned to prison if he breaches its conditions.

He was also banned from driving for three years.