Villagers frightened by mooning man’s ‘kill the kids’ threats at park

A man mooned householders through their window and scared villagers at a playpark by making a remark about killing children.

One bystander lifted a child over a fence to get them out of Maximilian Roberts-Dineen’s way as he shouted and swore.

Roberts-Dineen also shouted at a grandmother as she cared for her eightweek-old granddaughter.

Roberts-Dineen, 33, was not present at Tain Sheriff Court, where solicitor Rory Gowans entered a guilty plea to a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.

Fiscal depute Hilary Michopoulou told the court the incident in Lochinver on December 18 last year began when residents noticed RobertsDineen standing outside their garden “shouting, swearing and behaving in a threatening manner”.

She said: “The accused then turned round and

pulled down his trousers and pants showing his bare backside.”

After this RobertsDineen of Nedd, Lairg, swore at a man.

“A short time after this witnesses were putting up the village Christmas tree in the play park when one of them heard the accused shouting,” Mrs Michopoulou said.

The fiscal depute described how the accused made threatening comments to two members people at the war memorial before turning his attention to a parent who was with their young son nearby.

At this point a witness was so concerned they “lifted the little boy into the playpark to protect him”.

Later Roberts-Dineen was heard to make a remark that “we” or “they” should “kill the kids”, Mrs Michopoulou said.

Police were called and Roberts-Dineen was arrested and taken to Burnett Road Police Station, shouting, swearing and making threats. Mr Gowans told the court there were concerns over his client’s mental health.

Sheriff Gary Aitken called for reports and deferred sentencing until later this year.

Lochinver play park.