The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)

OAP is jailed for threat to woman PC

- GRAHAM BROWN

A throatn Angus OAP is back behind bars after threatenin­g to rip out the of a female police officer monitoring his compliance with a longterm sex offences order.

James Hutchison made the drunken threats out of what Forfar Sheriff Court was told was “frustratio­n” that lifelong restrictio­ns on him might not be relaxed after police were asked to investigat­e claims around him meeting a 15-year-old boy.

In a series of angry texts and voicemails, the 67-yearold told his supervisin­g officer: “You better steer clear of me now. I’ll do you in, you cow.”

Hutchison, of Ladyloan, Arbroath, had previously been remanded after a Dundee Sheriff Court appearance at which he admitted verbally abusing PC Gillian Fraser on October 29 last year.

He was later released and appeared before Sheriff Gregor Murray for sentence at Forfar Sheriff Court this week.

Hutchison is subject to a sexual offences order which bans him from approachin­g, contacting or speaking to a child under the age of 18.

He was originally convicted in 1988.

The pensioner is currently under the supervisio­n of the offender management unit at Forfar police office.

The court heard his abuse towards the monitoring unit officer included: “I will tear your f ****** throat out.

“Gillian, I don’t know what’s f ****** going on here like. There’s c **** phoning me calling me a beast.”

Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “He had been remanded in custody but was granted bail.

“He had effectivel­y been 32 years on the order. It was lifelong, but has to be reviewed every five years.

“Things changed and there was an inquiry alleging him being in contact with a 15-year-old male.

“That then resulted in the order not being removed and Mr Hutchison’s frustratio­n with the whole process boiled over.”

The solicitor said the inquiry had discovered the boy was with his father at the time of the meeting with Hutchison.

Mr Rennie added: “It is said there was no apology. He recalls making an apology by telephone but it perhaps didn’t have enough resonance.

“He has since met the officer and there have been no further problems.

“Clearly they are thoroughly unpleasant comments, aggravated by the fact they are made to a police officer.”

Sheriff Murray told Hutchison: “The law has to take very seriously what is said to police officers on duty.

“There is no alternativ­e to a custodial sentence,” he told the pensioner.

Hutchison was sentenced to 64 days behind bars, which the sheriff said took into account the time already spent on remand.

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