Mum denies trying to hinder police arresting daughter

Accused of obstructing cops at the scene

A Blantyre woman is alleged to have placed a set of ladders in front of police officers while they were arresting her daughter at their home.

Jacqueline Ferguson had pleaded not guilty to a charge of obstructing and hindering two officers at her Nursery Place home last Sunday, July 31.

The 43-year-old is said to have stood in front of the officers and tried to stop them from entering a bedroom, trying to put a set of ladders in front of the officers and continually approaching the officers while they were arresting her 20-year-old daughter Mary Helen Mccafferty.

Co-accused Mary Helen Mccafferty denied behaving in a threatening and abusive manner in a police vehicle travelling to Motherwell Police Office that day by hitting her head against the interior of the vehicle and kicking its doors and making abusive remarks. This charge was also said to have been aggravated by prejudice relating to disability.

Mary Helen Mccafferty further pleaded not guilty to a charge of assaulting two police officers at Nursery Place – and at the M74 near to Hamilton’s Motherwell Road.

She is alleged to have kicked the officers, lashed out with her arms, kicked out and struggled violently.

A third accused, 19-year-old Stephen Scott Mccafferty and Mary Helen Mccafferty denied a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by repeatedly shouting and swearing and uttering abusive and threatening remarks at the Nursery Place address last Sunday.

Stephen Scott Mccafferty was said to have been on bail at the time on another matter.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, Sheriff Vincent Smith set the trial for all three accused for November 11 with an intermediate diet of October 17. Bail was granted meantime.