Spaced-out man hung on to reversing car

A Perth man, spaced out on Valium, tried to speak to two women in a parked car near the city’s retail park.

And as they tried to reverse away, 38-year-old Michael Foley shouted and swore and held onto the vehicle, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

Sheriff Gillian Wade told him his actions had “put his liberty in jeopardy”.

But the accused, of Pullar Terrace, escaped with a Community Payback Order instead. He will be supervised by a social worker for 12 months and will have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

He admitted that on March 5, 2020, at St Catherine’s Road, Perth, he approached the stationary car and attempted to engage Amanda McKenzie and Bridie Tulloch in conversation. As they reversed away, he held onto the car while it was moving.

However, part of the charge, which alleged he was in possession of a knife and repeatedly attempted to stab the tyres – putting both females in a “state of fear and alarm” – was deleted.

The court was told that the incident took place about 8.30pm. “He was asking, effectively, who they were and if they knew a particular person,” explained depute fiscal Michael Sweeney.

Foley was later traced and detained in custody. Solicitor David Holmes told the court: “At the time he was taking Valium. He had no idea what he was doing or what was going on.”

The accused was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to Boots after he admitted stealing a £99.99 heart and blood pressure monitor from the High Street outlet on July 16, 2018.

He was subject to a July 31, 2018, bail order at the time.