An out-of-control dad who terrified his family and attacked two police officers blames his “completely inconceivable” behaviour on a spiked drink.
Russell Goldie barged into his former family home in Westhill and left his estranged wife and children so terrified they had to barricade themselves in a bathroom.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that when police turned up to help rescue his family the 40-year-old father-of-three attacked the officers and had to be pepper sprayed.
The production manager’s lawyer said the only explanation for his frightening behaviour was his drink having been spiked during a night out in the city with his wife.
Incident after night out
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross said the incident happened on November 26 last year at around 9.30pm and after Goldie had been dropped off at his flat in Westhill by a taxi which then took his wife to the family home afterwards.
Miss Ross said: “The complainer was alone with her three daughters within the front room when he proceeded to call and text her. She told the two younger daughters to return to their bedroom.
“The accused continued to call whereby he became aggressive and threatening.
“This caused the eldest daughter, 15, to become scared. The accused then stated that he was going to attend the house and the complainer told her daughter that if he did she was to enter the bathroom with her sisters and she was not to open the door.”
A short time later, Goldie turned up at the house, ringing the doorbell and shouting “let me f****** in” and “I’ll f****** come in”.
Family in a ‘state of terror’
After “banging aggressively” on the front and rear doors he finally gained entry to the property.
By now, his ex-wife and daughters had locked themselves in the bathroom “for their own safety” and called the police.
“Police attended and assisted the complainer and the children out through the bathroom window before entering the address in the same way,” Miss Ross added.
“Officers could clearly see that the complainer and her daughters were in a state of terror.”
They could hear Goldie shouting and swearing outside the bathroom door. When they opened it he punched one officer on the head, causing a small laceration, and punched the other on his forehead, causing a graze and swelling.
Police used pepper spray
The officers used irritant spray which struck Goldie in the face and he was cautioned and charged.
He admitted one charge of threatening or abusive behaviour and two further charges of police assault.
His defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt said Goldie and his wife of 16 years had split up amicably in July 2022 but remained on excellent terms seeing each other most days.
He said it was both Goldie and his wife’s position that the only plausible explanation for his out-of-character behaviour was that his alcoholic drink had been spiked by an “unknown substance” during the evening.
The solicitor said the pair “regularly socialised together” and Goldie’s alcohol consumption on the night in question was “not enough to explain what took place later in the evening”.
“When they were in the last bar before going home it was from that time onwards that his recollection of the evening broadly speaking ends,” said Mr Woodward-Nutt.
“He describes having only snapshot memories of the evening until he came to in the police station.”
‘There no rational explanation’
Mr Woodward-Nutt added that police officers suspected Goldie was under the influence but after being assured he had never taken drugs before, they told social workers they believed he may have had his drink spiked.
“It’s not possible to lead proof of that, but it’s the only explanation as to why he acted in this way. There’s no rational explanation otherwise.”
He added that Goldie had been “horrified” to hear what he had done and stressed he appeared in court under “highly unusual circumstances”.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis fined Goldie, of Ashdale Court, Westhill, £2,075.
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