Man walks free after gun threat

AN ACCOUNTANT who threatened to shoot the owners of an Airbnb property in Greenock’s west end has walked free from the town’s sheriff court - after a sheriff decided not to convict him of any offence.

Ian Close - who subsequently bought the flat from the people, described as ‘pests’ by lawman David Pender - was granted an absolute discharge by the sheriff.

The court heard that Close had eventually decided to purchase the Finnart Street property to ‘avoid future disturbance’ from shortterm renters.

Close, 48, pleaded guilty to shouting, swearing and making threats of violence against two people on October 7 last year.

The court heard that the selfemployed businessman had been in a years-long dispute with the former owners, from Manchester, and a number of complaints had been raised with police over drug misuse and anti-social behaviour from their holiday apartment.

Matters came to a head last October when an intoxicated Close returned to his property following a day of drinking with friends and verbally confronted the complainers. A procurator fiscal depute told Greenock Sheriff Court: “Around midnight they were awoken by the accused.

“He shouted ‘I will shoot you, come down here and show your face’.

“The behaviour placed them in a state of fear and alarm and police were called.”

A lawyer for Close claimed there had been ‘a number of difficulties as a consequence’ of the Airbnb operation and said the owners ‘were often uncontactable and unable to manage the property’.

The issues, according to the solicitor, had been ‘causing distress’ to Close and his family and his response was ‘out of character’.

The lawyer said: “He had not had a significant amount to drink [on the night of the incident].

“This was the culmination perhaps of two years of difficulties where he has reacted badly.”

The court heard that Close has now bought the property from the complainers ‘to have some peace of mind’ and ‘avoid future disturbance’.

Sheriff David Pender was told that a conviction for the offence could cause Close difficulties in his profession in the future and he was asked to consider a delayed sentence.

However, the sheriff asked: “If he has got rid of the pests, if I can call them that, is there any point in deferring sentence?”

Sheriff Pender added: “I can think of nothing worse than constant noise, disturbance and unpleasantness from neighbours.

“It is an unusual step but given the circumstances I grant an absolute discharge.”