The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Man hurled abuse at primary pupils and school staff
APerth man has admitted haranguing local primary school children and staff with foul-mouthed abuse.
John Stevenson admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside a Fair City primary school on August 12 2020.
Drunken Stevenson shouted abuse at teachers and told pupils he would kill them.
At Perth Sheriff Court he pled guilty to acting in a manner “likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm”.
Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis said the 48-year-old had attended at the primary school towards the end of the pupils’ lunch break.
Staff members were out in the playground and saw Stevenson speaking to some boys.
They could see him acting “in an abusive manner” towards the school children.
“The accused was shouting and swearing,” Ms Lewis said.
Stevenson was heard to shout: “I’m going to f ****** kill you” towards the children.
Ms Lewis said: “The accused continued, shouting ‘you f ****** stay away from my street’.”
Stevenson, a father, then turned to staff and shouted: “You f ****** keep them under control.”
“At this point, a member of staff asked the accused to keep away from the gate,” Ms Lewis said.
Stevenson replied: “What the f *** are you looking at?
“You’re just a f ****** w **** .”
He left but soon came back to the playground fence.
He approached, shouting: “Bring it on.”
Ms Lewis said: “It became extremely apparent he was becoming extremely hostile.”
Stevenson shouted at staff: “You’re getting it” and “you’re all just a bunch of w ***** .”
Staff went to phone police and Stevenson mocked them, goading: “Go on, get your phone out.”
It was reported staff were concerned for the safety of pupils, and the head teacher arrived.
Stevenson’s solicitor Linda Clark said her client lives near the school.
She said: “I think it’s clear from the report, there has been an alcohol difficulty.
“He has been living there for some time.
“He’d taken a quantity of alcohol.
“He had been in his garden.
“Of course, he’s the adult and he should have moved himself from the situation.
“He shouts at the children.
“There’s been no further repercussions.”
Sheriff James Macdonald placed Stevenson under supervision for a year and ordered him to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in that time.
The sheriff said: “This matter is a serious one.
“I have no doubt that you were under the influence of alcohol at the time.”