Supervision order over harassment

AN artist who harassed young women, including children, and gave them drawings he sketched has been placed on supervision.

Alfred Petrie, 61, caused the women fear and alarm on multiple occasions between September 2018 and January last year.

A sheriff ruled that Petrie’s behaviour was not sexually motivated and placed him on a community payback order.

Petrie, of West Road, Newport, previously pleaded guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to causing the first woman, who was 15 at the time, fear and alarm on Whitehall Street on September 20 2018.

He sat beside her while she was alone, drew pictures of females, tried to engage in conversation, swore and acted in an erratic manner.

Petrie also gave some of his drawings to the woman.

On April 22 2019, Petrie sat beside the second woman on a train between Edinburgh Waverley station and Leuchars railway station.

Petrie tried to engage her in conversation, asked her personal questions, shook her hand, made personal remarks, drew pictures of females and gave them to her.

He also admitted intimating that he was going to draw a picture containing a nude image.

Between January 1-31 last year, Petrie caused fear and alarm to two girls aged 15 and 14 at Costa, Market Street, St Andrews, by asking them to look through his notebook of drawings and offering each of them the opportunity to choose a drawing.

Petrie also gave a drawing to each of them which caused them both to suffer fear and alarm as a result.

He returned to the dock following the preparation of social work reports.

Sheriff John Rafferty deemed some of the recommendations in the report to be “inappropriate” but said he would follow the “constructive” disposal suggested.

He told Petrie: “This should enable you to focus on the issues that have resulted in this criminality.”

Petrie was placed on a community payback order comprising of supervision for two years.