Man denies judges threat claims

A man charged wi t h threatening Paisley court judges has blasted the claims as “fiction”.

Robert Sproul, 54, is alleged to have rented a community hall and summoned lawmen to face him.

Prosecutors say he wrote sinister notes to them and to a member of the Children’s Panel.

The accused denied the offences during a hearing at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Sproul opted to represent himself at trial – but revealed he had not been able to study evidence seized by police in the case.

He said: “I did not consent to that.

“They smashed my door in and stole my property.

“I don’t think I can get a fair trial. I need adequate time to prepare. I made it abundantly clear as a man that I am not guilty.”

The accused refuses to spell his first name with a capital letter and refers to himself as “robert of the family Sproul”.

He is charged with acting in a threatening or abusive manner between June 29 and July 20.

It is claimed he sent menacing messages to Paisley sheriffs and the panel worker and asked to meet at the rented Clyde Community Hall in Glasgow.

He is also accused of failing to give his name to police when they visited his home in Govan.

Sproul produced his birth certificate during proceedings.

He punched the piece of paper and insisted he lived outside the state and did not accept recognition by authorities.

Sproul added: “Please call me robert.

“Upper case is dog Latin and legalese – I don’t understand that, I am an idiot to that.

“I have the right to get subjugation from that name they are using.

“It diminishes the capacity of the man and makes you a slave to the system.”

Sheriff Murdo Macleod QC adjourned proceedings until next month to allow Sproul to study the evidence.