Veteran cleared of abuse claims from ‘family from hell’

A former soldier has spoken of his relief after he was cleared of hurling anti-English abuse at a family in Kinross on Armistice Day.

Emma and Simon Green, along with their daughter’s partner Ian Saunders, had accused John Adcock of unleashing a racist tirade after he asked them to move their caravan.

The 71-year-old, of Ross Street, Kinross, was found not guilty of acting in a threatening and abusive manner on November 11 last year after Sheriff David Griffiths said he could not rule out collusion between his accusers.

The Greens, whose antics have previously seen them labelled the town’s “family from hell”, said they and Mr Saunders had been preparing to hitch up their caravan ahead of a holiday when Mr Adcock ordered them to move it in an expletive-laden, racist rant. They also claimed he told them “I’m an ex-Royal Marine and I could kill you with two fingers”.

However Mr Adcock, who served in the Royal Artillery for 15 years, told the court he was merely asking how long the caravan would be parked on the street as he was concerned about his daughter being able to access his drive.

After the verdict the pensioner said: “I was very upset – it should never have got this far. It’s over and I can now relax.”

His daughter Joan Reekie added: “They descended on my father like a pack of animals. It’s ended up in court because of their lies. I think it’s terrible that they can get away with it.”

In 2014 Mrs Green was fined £200 for punching her son in a homophobic attack and they were also served Asbos after a 4am drunken performance of a scene from Titanic.