‘Loner’ invited two primary pupils into flat to meet snake

AN Arbroath “loner” met two primary school pupils at a town playpark and invited them back to his flat to meet his pet snake, before giving them a Star Wars toy.

Paul Masson, 55, previously admitted acting in a manner “likely to cause fear or alarm” on May 2 2023 at Forfar Sheriff Court.

The court heard nothing sinister happened to the children and Masson was told he needed to widen his social circle.

He was placed under supervision for a year.

Fiscal depute Sam Craib said the children were aged 9 and 10 and had never met Masson.

He met them at Arbroath’s Spider Park, where he was with his dog, as they walked home from school and he invited them back to his Abbey Street home.

The prosecutor said: “He gave the two children a tour of his home, including the bedrooms. He showed the children his pet snake and then gifted them a Star Wars toy.”

One child suggested it was time to leave and the accused agreed.

Mr Craib said: “He showed the children his doorbell on the way out and told them they could come back any time they wished.”

They got back home as family members were becoming worried about their whereabouts.

When asked where the “quite expensivelooking” Star Wars toy came from, one of the children lied and stated it was a gift from a friend’s parent.

Suspecting the children were not being truthful, they were probed further and they admitted where they got the toy.

The matter was reported to police that night and two days later, officers traced Masson. He asked them: “Is this to do with the children the other day?”

Masson admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner. He pled guilty to approaching the children who he did not know, engaging them in conversation, offering them to attend his home, guiding them around his home, showing them his pet snake, gifting them a toy and telling them they could return any time.

This was all without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

His solicitor Keith Sym explained nothing sinister was planned or happened.

He said previous friendships for his client had ended badly.

“I think it would be fair to say your Lordship will have an indication that he’s a loner.

“He doesn’t have many friends.

“My reading of it is it’s a degree of naivety on his part.

“They wanted to see his snake. They liked his dog. He thought nothing of it. “I think he realises what it looks like. “At the time, the children wanted to come back to his flat.

“It’s not a pattern of behaviour.”

Sheriff Mungo Bovey placed Masson under supervision for a year. He said: “His

actions betoken somebody who does need to widen his social circle, and do so in a more suitable fashion.

“Hell is other people but we still benefit from associating with them.

“I’m going to make a community payback order with one year of supervision in the hope that you will perhaps make some lifestyle changes with a view to widening your circle.”

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LONELY: Paul Masson took pupils home.