Man held in custody after alleged waste of police time

A man has been remanded in custody after he allegedly told a pair of police officers he had symptoms of Covid-19.

Raymond Johnston, of Anderson Street in Arbroath, is accused of wasting police time by telling PCs Martyn Brennan and Stephen Adam that he was displaying signs of having the contagious infection while in a police vehicle en route to Bell Street Police Station in Dundee.

Prosecutors allege Johnston, 35, knew that falsely telling the constables he was showing symptoms would “require substantial police intervention” at a cost to the public purse.

The charges go on to state that Johnston allegedly “deprived the public of services” by causing the officers to devote additional time to investigating claims he knew were false, when in truth he knew he was not suffering from symptoms of the bug.

He denies the offence, along with six other charges called at Dundee Sheriff Court, all said to have taken place on the same day.

The Arbroath man has also been accused of two separate breaches of a bail order, first by entering the town’s St Vigeans Road and then by contacting his one-time partner, both on Tuesday.

He is also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and uttering abusive remarks towards the woman, kicking items and also kicking a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Johnston is then said to have assaulted the partner, seizing her by the body, shaking her and throwing an item at her head to her injury.

He then allegedly placed a mobile phone not belonging to him in a toilet, causing it damage.

A further charge alleges that he repeatedly struck his head on the cell wall in the police vehicle while it was on its way to Kittybrewster Police Station in Aberdeen, and repeatedly struck his own head with handcuffs, likely causing the officers fear and alarm.

Depute fiscal Lora Apostolova, for the Crown, opposed bail on the grounds that Johnston was already on bail at the time the alleged offences were committed.

Acting agent Nick Whelan’s motion for bail was refused by Sheriff George Way.

Sheriff Way said: “It’s a very difficult balance but... bail, I’m afraid, is refused.”

A trial date was fixed for May 1 with an intermediate diet on April 21. Johnston was remanded in custody meantime.