Homes to be alarmed to stop intimidation by ex-cop
SPECIAL alarm devices are to be fitted to a number of homes in Onich and will trigger an alert if an ex-police officer convicted of a raft of intimidation offences comes too close to the properties.
Sheriff William Taylor made the order in the case of Thomas Kirsop, 76, of North Ballachulish, at Fort William Sheriff Court this week.
Sheriff Taylor had found Kirsop guilty at an earlier court appearance of six charges, including swinging a chainsaw with its engine running while staring at neighbours; uttering threats and shouting offensive remarks; staring at the head teacher of the village primary school in an intimidating manner; engaging in conduct which caused a husband and wife fear and alarm by following the wife’s car, pulling alongside; banging into her at the village primary school; sending an anonymous letter containing a newspaper clipping and placing signs with an offensive slogan on a boundary fence.
The offences took place between January 1, 2015, and May 29, 2016. Kirsop had appeared back in court in July, but Sheriff Taylor had deferred sentence until September 2017, to get a restriction of liberty order assessment and at another court appearance Kirsop was ordered to live at the home of his son in Inverary.
In the unusual move, the special monitoring boxes will be located in various properties rather than in the more cusTHE tomary procedure involving tagging of offenders, where a box is installed in the offender’s own home. The alarms will be activated if the tagged person comes too close to the property.
Sentencing Kirsop, Sheriff Taylor told the pensioner: ‘If you approach any of these properties an alarm will go off.
‘You have behaved badly and have ignored court orders in the past. You have brought this on yourself. A number of people in Onich feel intimidated by you and the behaviour you get up to. For that reason I consider it important that a community payback order be made.’
Sheriff Taylor said the installation of the monitoring alarms would be part of a restriction of liberty order lasting one year and there would also be a non-harassment order for two years.
The community payback order has a requirement that Kirsop does not approach certain individuals and this will be also be in force for two years.