Councillor’s action call over rural closures
without that person’s verbal or written consent.
He was also barred from exhibiting any indecent image of any female.
In papers presented to Perth Sheriff Court this week by depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson, the prosecution wants to add a further seven conditions to the order, which they contend are “justified and proportionate.”
The first, if granted, will “oblige” Basterfield to advise an officer of the offender managing unit, responsible for monitoring him, of any relationship, association or acquaintance he has - or enters into - with an adult female.
Another will prohibit him from approaching or communicating with any adult female who is known to him, where that female is not in the company of another adult person, except for incidental or unavoidable contact.
Further stringent conditions relate A Kinross-shire councillor is calling for Perth and Kinross Council to do more to help sustain rural communities.
Independent Kinross-shire councillor Michael Barnacle has suggested the council looks to consider new policy that prevent hotels and inns from closure.
Cllr Barnacle is primarily concerned with the case of Blairingone which has had its pub, post office, church and its school closed in the 20 years since he was elected.
In his letter to Conservative council leader Murray Lyle, he berated the council’s recent decision to close Blairingone Primary School and criticised “the complete failure” of the administration “to promote the sustainability of rural communities by such decisions.”
Citing recent experiences in Glenfarg and to any electronic devices he owns, uses or possesses, capable of accessing the internet or communicating electronic messages.
He would have to allow police access to any such devices, including but not limited to providing user names, passwords or other necessary information.
He would also be banned from deleting the browsing history, records of calls, text messages or emails.
In addition, if approved, he would be prohibited from residing anywhere other than an address approved by his monitoring officer.
There would also be limitations on his employment, whether paid or voluntary, without the monitoring person’s prior approval.
Solicitor Linda Clark told the court this week that she had only just seen a copy of the proposed additions to the order. Kinnesswood, he suggests registering hotels and inns as an “asset of community value”.
He finished by saying: “We need a fresh approach, if the continuing decline in rural communities and their transport connections are to be reversed, both locally and nationally.
“One could start by appointing a planning officer with a specific remit to promote and protect rural sustainability, as exists in some other local authorities I am aware of.”
But council leader Murray Lyle said: “The implication that the council is responsible for the pubs and churches closing over the past 20 years is a nonsense.”
He said the council went through “exhaustive consultations” prior to the school’s closure and the decision was for
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis continued consideration of the matter until November 25 to allow her to take instructions from her client.
In addition to the lengthy SOPA handed down in April, Basterfield had an 18-month non-harrassment order put in place, prohibiting him from approaching, contacting or communicating with the woman who was involved with a group Basterfield previously attended.
He admitted sending her a picture of his genitals, along with a vile caption, in October last year.
Basterfield also had another fourmonth consecutive jail term imposed at the same time for stalking a young woman in Perth city centre on April 27, 2018.
The former taxi driver previously served a 2006 jail term which related to him stalking a rugby club barmaid. the “benefit of the children” and was the “right thing to do.”
The Strathallan councillor maintains his administration has “not abandoned the rural communities” and the beef farmer says keeping rural communities sustainable is one of his “top priorities.”
He said they were supporting small businesses in rural communities through the Business Gateway Fund and said they had “given hundreds of thousands of pounds” to rural communities through the Community Investment Fund.
He added: “These are initiatives that we have brought in. It would be nice to do everything but we have a very limited budget. We have had a reducing budget over the past number of years.”