A man’s year of sobriety ended in a disturbing fashion when he turned up at a family’s home late at night armed with a knife.
William Kelman was drunk when he arrived at the Alness address and started banging on the door to demand the occupant come outside.
Tain Sheriff Court was told a child was sleeping inside the home at the time and the concerned homeowner refused to leave the property.
Kelman shouted foul-mouthed abuse at the man before police arrived and found him lying in the middle of the road.
Kelman, 56, pled guilty to charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and possessing a knife in a public place on July 30 of this year.
Fiscal depute Hilary Michopoulou told the court that the incident occurred on Sandy Macrae Street, a residential area where many of the homes belong to families with children.
Victim awoken by ‘loud banging’
She said that the occupant of the house was woken at around 11.30pm by the sound of “loud banging” on his front door.
When he looked out of the window he saw Kelman but did not engage, conscious of the fact that his young child was asleep within the property at the time.
Kelman was heard shouting something like: “Get out here you c**t.”
Neighbours who looked out at the commotion saw Kelman “acting in an aggressive manner”.
“Witnesses noticed the accused to be holding a large kitchen knife in his left hand and a tin of cider in his right hand,” Mrs Michopoulou said.
‘Mystery’ why he had knife
Kelman’s solicitor, Rory Gowans, said his client had been upset after the loss of his painting and decorating business to those he considered his “nearest and dearest”.
He said that having been sober for a year prior to the incident, on the night in question Kelman suspected “he was reflecting on what had happened and picked up the bottle”.
“He was heavily intoxicated. Quite why he had taken the knife with him was a mystery,” Mr Gowans added.
“He wishes to convey his unreserved apologies.”
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Kelman, of Margaret Thom Way, Alness: “The court takes an exceedingly dim view of turning up at anybody’s door at night and causing a disturbance. Taking a knife with you is 100 times worse.”
Sheriff Aitken called for pre-sentence reports, with Kelman remaining on bail in the meantime. The case will call again next month.
