Cause trouble on bail and there will be consequences
Anyone who breaks the conditions of their bail can expect to be punished accordingly, Sheriff Patrick Hughes warned at Campbeltown Sheriff Court last week.
In two cases during the June sitting of the court, the sheriff dealt with breaches of bail conditions, one of approaching a witness in a pending court case and another of committing an offence whilst on bail.
Darren Simon, aged 40, whose address was given as Killean, Queen Street, Campbeltown, admitted that after being granted bail on September 4 2019, with a condition that he not interfere with witnesses or obstruct the course of justice, he caused alarm and distress to a witness involved in the case by approaching them in an intimidating and threatening manner. The court heard that this happened on October 5 2019 outside a fish and chip shop in the town.
Simon’s defence agent Derek Buchanan said Simon accepted that what he had done was wrong, adding: ‘He was very upset at some of the allegations made against him and he realises in the cold light of day that he should not have said that to the witness.’
Sheriff Hughes fined Simon £120 with a £10 victim surcharge, saying he was sending a message to the community that no-one should cause distress to a witness.
At the same court sitting, a holiday-maker from Clydebank who was threatening and abusive to the owners of a Southend caravan park was told that part of his fine was for committing the offence while on bail. In May, Sheriff Patrick Hughes found 38-year-old Scott Bryan, of 9 Milton Douglas Road, Clydebank, guilty of shouting and uttering threats to the owners of Kilmashenachan Caravan Park on August 3 last year. At the time of the offence, Bryan had been on bail from Dumbarton Sheriff Court granted in February 2020.
A disagreement about the sale and siting of a caravan on the Southend site had escalated. After finding Bryan guilty, the sheriff called for reports to be prepared on Bryan and the case was before the court last week.
Sheriff Hughes fined the man £250 saying that £75 of the fine was ‘attributable’ to the bail offence. Bryan was also ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.