Man who set up foodbank hit neighbour

The co-founder of a Kinross-shire foodbank charity has admitted assaulting a neighbour he believed was taking videos of young women.

Graham Holden confronted the man at his Perth home after hearing weeks of complaints about his allegedly “bizarre” behaviour.

The 49-year-old snapped when he was told a local teenager was frightened to leave her home because the man was “blocking” the stairs outside her flat. Holden, who helped set up the award-winning Broke Not Broken campaign, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Friday and admitted punching his victim at his flat in the North Muirton area on April 15.

Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis told the court: “At about 10pm, the complainer’s children were woken by banging on a door. The complainer went to the door and saw the accused standing there.

“He became aggressive and started to shout at the complainer. The accused then punched the complainer in the head twice.” She said the victim was not injured.

Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said: “The complainer had been behaving bizarrely towards two young women, aged 14 and 17.”

It was claimed the man had been filming the teenagers as they walked up and down a communal stairwell.

“It got to the point where the children were trying to avoid the complainer and wouldn’t go downstairs when he was around,” said Mr Somerville.

“The girls had been complaining to Mr Holden about this for two months, although he thought they were exaggerating. On this evening however, Mr Holden was out walking his dogs when one of the girls sent him a photo, showing the complainer sitting on the stairs making it almost impossible for them to get

out of their house without passing him.

“This infuriated Mr Holden and he went round to remonstrate with him. He accepts that he lost his temper and acted in the way he did.”

Sheriff Francis Gill told him: “There is no excuse for losing your temper in the way that you did.

“It is fortunate that there was no injury sustained by the complainer.”

Holden, who works in the manufacturing industry, was fined £265.

Broke Not Broken was established to help feed people living in poverty in the Kinross-shire area.

Last year, the charity received the Queen’s Award for voluntary service, the highest accolade of its kind.

Holden, of Stronsay Court, made headlines in 2016 when he revealed he had been forced to rely on his own foodbank after a blunder by benefit bosses.

He said his benefits were suddenly cut off after false accusations his partner was living with him.

ATTACK: Graham Holden confronted the man after complaints about his behaviour.