Freed con finds home trashed by vandals Court appearance missed after papers went to wrong address
A freed prisoner returned to find her Paisley home completely trashed.
Melanie Feehan, 40, released last month after being remanded for a public disorder offence and an assault, discovered her place in the town’s Ferguslie Walk, had been vandalised and was completely uninhabitable.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Ms Feehan had previously racially abused shopkeepers after she had been barred from their Broomlands Street store, and a police assault for struggling with cops who carrying out an arrest.
Defence agent Terry Gallanagh said the accused had missed her court appearance because letters had been going to the wrong address as her home had been wrecked.
He said: “She was freed on May 3. Sentence had been deferred on these matters until May 10.
“However, she returned home to find her home completely trashed.
The property had been boarded up. She couldn’t gain entry.
“Therefore no correspondence was making its way to her in relation to these matters.
“She has found a temporary address also in Ferguslie Walk and resides there while renovations to her own property are being carried out.”
He added Ms Feehan has struggled hard against her drug and alcohol addictions to turn her life around and will feature in a future BBC documentary.
He said: “She has been tackling substance abuse. Things are going well.
“She is starring in a BBC programme involving her work with renowned charity St Vincent De Paul.
“I would ask the court to hand her supervision in order for her to continue engaging with the authorities.”
Sheriff David Pender concurred with the lawyer, telling Ms Feehan: “Things are going well and relation to these complaints I am going to make a community payback order for 12 months’ supervision in relation to drugs and alcohol.”
He encouraged the accused to “sort herself out” by committing to the order.
The Express previously revealed Ms Feehan was left devastated when sick thug Alexander Arrol, 31, hurled her Jack Russell terrier dog Max out of her window during a rammy at her house.
Arrol was handed 10 months in jail for the senseless attack on the dog which required to have its leg amputated at Abbey Veterinary Group, in the town’s Canal Street.
Ms Feehan will return to court in December for a progress review before Sheriff Pender.