The main court in the Highlands has heard its first case involving the new coronavirus legislation.
Robert Stasiak was arrested in Inverness and charged with sitting outside withut reasonable excuse and begging.
Stasiak, a Polish national, spoke with the help of an interpreter to confirm he was denying a charge of contravening Regulation 5 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) by repeatedly sitting outside in High Street and Church Street, Inverness, without reasonable excuse and beg. The emergency legislation was only introduced last week.
Stasiak, who gave a home of multiple occupancy in Union Street, Inverness, as his address, also denied that on April 5 in the Cordon House property, throwing a can of urine at a police constable and striking him on the body with it.
He also pleaded not guilty to repeatedly spitting on police custody and security officers in Burnett Road Police Station.
His solicitor criticised the police and the recently resigned Chief Medical Officer after telling the Sheriff his 51-year-old client had a reasonable excuse to defy the “stay at home” instructions.
Inverness lawyer Neil Wilson was appearing at Inverness Sheriff Court acting for 51 year old homeless man Robert Stasiak, who had been arrested for begging in Inverness city streets on April 4 and 5.
He told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald after saying his client was pleading not guilty: “He lives by begging. It seems as if theere is one law for the Chief Medical Officer and another for the poor and desperate.”
Stasiak spent a night in police cells before being taken to the Inverness Justice Centre, hours after it was announced that Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood had resigned from her post over her trips away from home.
Stasiak was released on bail by Sheriff Macdonald and was seen sitting in the middle of the road outside the Justice Centre, before moving on to sit with his back to a lamp-post outside the police station.
A few minutes later he moved on towards the city centre.
An intermediate diet was fixed for August 11. Trial was fixed for September 7.
