The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Court told how pair alarmed tourists
Meo junseT io froot of seTestriaos aoT carrieT out ‘kuoh fu actioos’
A duo who fashioned bandanas from police cordon tape to carry out martial arts moves in front of shocked Chinese tourists have been fined £1,000.
Passers-by were offended and alarmed by John Harrison and Robert Willemars as they showed off kung fu moves in the middle of Blairgowrie at 7am on a Sunday after watching Floyd Mayweather Jr fight Conor McGregor on pay per view TV.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told them: “You may both have thought it was an incredible wheeze. You were no doubt wildly amused by your own antics, but unfortunately other folk did not share your view.”
Perth Sheriff Court was told that police officers could not arrest the pair because they had no back-up and did not have access to a police vehicle.
Both were allowed away despite members of the public reporting feeling threatened.
Harrison, 23, and Willemars, 22, both admitted causing fear or alarm by behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in Blairgowrie on August 27.
They admitted lying in the road, jumping in front of people trying to go about their business, and shouting and swearing.
They initially appeared alongside Dean Thoms, 21, but the charge against him was dropped by the Crown.
The Crown also removed a reference to racist gestures and remarks before accepting guilty pleas from Harrison and Willemars, both from Blairgowrie.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said: “A witness saw both accused, along with two others. They had police tape around their heads.
“They appeared to be heavily intoxicated, shouting and causing a general nuisance. They began obstructing vehicles by lying in the road and only moving at the last minute.
“They obstructed pedestrians by jumping in front of them. They were seen to carry out kung fu actions and noises.”
A group of Chinese tourists, who had stopped in Blairgowrie as part of a coach trip, were alarmed by the way Harrison and Willemars were carrying on.
Mr Kermode said the police were called but were unable to arrest the duo – or catch their friends who had run off – due to manpower problems.
“They shouted and swore when the police approached,” he said. “Due to the fact the police had no available assistance for some time and no access to a police van they were allowed on their way.”
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said: “This was best described as a daft carry-on. They were described as doing MMA or Kung Fu moves. Someone took exception to it and thought they were making far too much noise, which of course they were.”
Harrison was fined £600. Willemars was fined £400.
Due to the fact the police had no available assistance for some timeandno access to a police van, theywere allowed on their way. DEPUTE FISCAL BILL KERMODE