Man remanded after letting bull terrier chase girl, 13.

FORFAR: Man alleged to have let his pet chase and grab arm of girl, 13

An Angus man will spend his birthday in prison after being remanded for allegedly letting his Staffordshire bull terrier off its lead to chase a 13-year-old girl and grab her arm.

Alexander Steele was slammed by a sheriff at Forfar after arriving late for a hearing and an earlier arrest warrant was revoked, placing him on remand two days before his 48th birthday.

Steele, of Restenneth Drive, Forfar, will be in custody until his October 10 trial on charges of breaching the peace, threatening young girls and letting his dog go after one of them.

He has also denied headbutting, punching and banging one of the youngsters’ heads off a wall.

The dog charge alleges that on May 9 at Restenneth Drive, Steele behaved in a threatening manner towards three 13-year-old girls by shouting and swearing at them and let his pet off its lead, allowing it to chase one of the girls,

“

This is the second occasion you have not turned up and you stay a few hundred yards from the court. SHERIFF GREGOR MURRAY

grab her by the arm and rip her jacket.

Steele has also denied breaching the peace that day by behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at two of the girls, threatening them with violence and acting in an aggressive manner.

The assault charge involving one girl alleges he grabbed her by the neck, butted her and punched her on the head, shoved her on the body, grabbed her by the hair and neck and banged her head against a wall, all to her injury.

Sheriff Gregor Murray granted an arrest warrant yesterday morning at Forfar, but more than an hour later Steele arrived in court.

The sheriff expressed concern over Steele’s demeanour but defence solicitor Nick Markowski said it was due to methadone and gabapentin prescriptions, whose effects would ease.

“He advises he was in court but had been caught in a downpour on his way and had gone to dry off,” said the solicitor.

Sheriff Murray said: “I am usually very tolerant of people who have methadone prescriptions to get.

“I recognise the difficulties which exist in people getting their methadone prescription and being here. This, however, is the second occasion you have not turned up and you stay a few hundred yards from the court.”