A man who told his neighbour she would be “slaughtered” during his outbursts of transgender abuse in a north-east village has been jailed for six months.
Christopher Ettles subjected his neighbour in Rothienorman to a host of insulting remarks and even turned up at her door brandishing a garden spade and threatening to kill her.
The 35-year-old first visited his neighbour’s garden on July 22 where he shouted insults and hurled expletives at her.
He also repeatedly struck her door and branded her a “tranny” and referring to her as “it” and a “thing”.
When police arrived he was heard saying: “She will be slaughtered,” and that he would “get her murdered”.
‘I am going to kill you’
Fiscal depute Darren Harty told Peterhead Sheriff Court that two days later Ettles appeared at her door again, this time armed with a shovel and shouting racist abuse.
“He was waving a garden spade above his head and shouting ‘I am going to kill you’,” Mr Harty said.
Both of these incidents happened while Ettles was on bail from Banff Sheriff Court.
Defence agent Marianne Milligan said Ettles accepts full responsibility for his actions.
She added: “He is an alcoholic and has been struggling through the pandemic.
“He knows that all options are available to the courts including a custodial sentence.”
Ettles admitted acting in a threatening and abusive manner at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month and he was remanded in custody.
No choice but to jail him
Sheriff Philip Mann jailed Ettles for six months, telling him: “What we appear to be dealing with here is two separate incidents of unwarranted behaviour which was in breach of a non-harassment order and bail order.
“With regards to your record and the circumstances of your offences, there is no alternative to a custody sentence available.”
Ettles, of Rothienorman’s Simpson Avenue, had his sentence backdated to July 27, the date when he was taken into custody.
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