A DAD was found guilty of mowing down two men he believed had been selling drugs to his son and rounded up a masked vigilante group to fight them.
Angry Craig Topen, 42, hit his one and a half ton Land Rover Freelander through a fence and into one of the men as he tried to escape.
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Craig Topen mowed “drug dealers who took care of their son” and hit them with golf clubs
Then he collided with a second man before getting out of the car and punching and kicking the third man before hitting him with a golf club.
A carpenter’s shop, Topen, of Dundee, Scotland, admitted to carrying out the vigilante attack that left Ilian Iliev seriously injured and lifelong scarred.
The Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Topen was leading a masked gang to the home of Iliev’s friend, knowing that he was the cause of his son’s drug-related debt.
Tax Representative Stewart Duncan told the court, “Mr. McCluskey and his stepson, Mr. Cuthbert, were at their home address with Mr. Iliev and other men.
“A brick came through the window. They saw several men outside calling. Liam Cuthbert recognized one as Craig Topen. Kenneth McCluskey went out to face the group.
“The group got into the Land Rover Freelander, the defendant sat in the driver’s seat. The two men stood in front of a fence and the car was driven right on both of them.
“Mr. Cuthbert tried to get out of the way but the car hit his leg causing him to spin and fall to the ground. Mr. McCluskey tried to escape by jumping over the fence.
“The car got on the sidewalk, hit his back and leg as he climbed over, and knocked over the fence, causing him to fall into the garden.
“The group managed to catch Mr. Iliev and the defendant hit him repeatedly on the head and body with a golf club. He had three wounds on the scalp and it took ten stabs.”
Topen admitted playing with others and attacking, with masked faces, Kenneth McCluskey, Liam Cuthbert and Iliev on Craigmount Road, Dundee, on November 15, 2019.
He admitted he climbed the sidewalk and drove on her before hitting her with the vehicle, then getting out and attacking Iliev with a golf club.
He also admitted to having an assault weapon, namely the golf club.
Defending attorney Ross Donnelly said: “The background is that one of his children was involved in substance abuse and received threatening messages and phone calls to Kenneth McCluskey due to a drug debt.
“Mr. Topen went to see if an ‘agreement’ could be reached. He’s making a pretty good income as he owns a carpenter’s shop.”
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael postponed Topen’s sentence on reports and he was released on bail.
A man is currently trying to smash a golf ball on busy Dundee Street near pedestrians and cars