Court hears two men left scarred following knife-point robbery in Galashiels filmed by their attackers
Shane Donnelly has admitted his involvement in series of violent incidents across the Scottish Borders just days apart...
Last updated 7th May 2026
A 27-year-old man has been warned he faces a lengthy jail sentence after admitting a series of violent and unprovoked attacks in the Scottish Borders.
Shane Donnelly - described as a prisoner in Edinburgh - left two men scarred following one incident at a flat in Galashiels on October the 25th last year.
While acting with others, he assaulted one man by striking him on the head and body with a knife and kicking him down a flight of stairs.
He also struck him on the body with a chair leg or similar instrument, kicked him on the head and seized him by the neck and compressed it - all to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
In addition, at the same property in Glendinning Terrace, he was part of an attack on a second man which saw his victim struck on the body with a knife and piano stool, hit on the head and seized by the neck - all to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
The High Court in Edinburgh today (Wednesday) heard one of the three men involved recorded the incident on his phone.
One victim, who suffered an 11cm cut to his temple as well as others on his back, was robbed of a mobile phone and bank cards during the attack, while the other, who also suffered cuts to his arms and head, was robbed of a pair of trainers.
Just two days earlier, Donnelly - while acting with another - wilfully set fire to the windows and door of a home at Galalaw Road in Hawick - resulting in the evacuation of the property and causing "extensive damage".
In the hours before the attack, he was also seen driving a van at Morrisons petrol station in the town while disqualified.
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Earlier that month, on October 4th, Donnelly admitted being involved in two further incidents in one day.
In the early hours of the morning, he approached a man waiting at a bus stop in St Boswells, who was asked: "Are you selling?"
But, when the man replied he's not selling anything, the 22-year-old - who the court heard did not know Donnelly - was punched and elbowed on the head with such force he suffered fractures to his jaw and wisdom tooth.
On the same day, Donnelly also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the owner of a takeaway in Galashiels and threatening to stab door staff at a local nightclub.
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And, on November the 6th, he turned up at a couple's home in Selkirk's Bannerfield estate and warned them their son, who he claimed owed £2000 to associates of his, would suffer serious violence if he did not contact them.
Donnelly, who's already serving a custodial sentence for other matters, pled guilty to a total of seven charges when he appeared via video link this morning.
These were: Two counts each of assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and robbery, and threatening or abusive behaviour; assault to severe injury and impairment; wilful fireraising; and driving while disqualified.
Judge Lady Ross KC noted Donnelly's previous convictions in both Scotland and England, and deferred sentence for background reports until June 12th.
She said: "The fact that these are offences committed over a very short period of time and which involve very serious assaults on people, in a completely unprovoked way, gives me very serious cause for concern."
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