Main jailed for knife threats to neighbour sparked by dog mess

Accused admitted his behaviour was ‘unacceptable’

A man who waved a knife at his Fife neighbour and threatened to stab him after accusing him of failing to clean up after his dog is behind bars.

Joshua Reid, 22, was jailed for 16 months after losing his temper with a neighbour over a pile of dog mess left sitting on the pavement outside the block of flats they both lived in.

Reid stormed over to his victim’s front door in Kinloss Park, Cupar, after claiming he had seen the man allowing the dog to mess without cleaning it up.

When he refused to pick it up, Reid pulled out a blade and said he was going to stab the man.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The accused and his partner were at a friend’s flat when he said he saw a neighbour, presumably the complainer, allow his dog to defecate without picking it up after.

“The accused left the friend’s home and said he was going to speak to the complainer about this incident.

“He went to the door and asked the complainer to come outside.

“Once outside, the accused pointed to the faeces and told the complainer he had not picked it up.

“The accused became aggressive and threatened to stab the complainer, who became aware of the accused’s friend standing behind him.

“The accused pulled out a knife – a kitchen knife with a 5-8in long blade.

“He said ‘do you think you’re tough enough, I’ll do you in’.

“The complainer ran in to his house and called police.

“The complainer’s partner could see the complainer waving the knife and shouting ‘get that ginger **** ’ outside now’.”

Reid, 22, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner on September 27 this year.

Defence solicitor Katrina Clark said: “His conduct was utterly unacceptable and disproportionate to the issues he had with the complainer.

“He understands given the nature of the offence and his record that custody is inevitable.”

Jailing Reid, Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “Threatening someone with a knife, whilst not as serious as actually striking them with it, is a very serious thing to do.

“Knife crime is always serious.”

The accused pulled out a knife–a kitchen knife with a 5-8in long blade. He said ‘do you think you’re tough enough, I’ll doyouin’

Joshua Reid lost his temper with a neighbour over dog mess outside their Cupar flats and ended up pulling a kitchen knife on him.