A man has admitted a stalking charge after a campaign of abuse against his neighbour.
Hector MacLean subjected the man next door to homophobic name-calling and labelled him a “paedophile” during incidents between October and December in 2021.
On one occasion police arrived at the scene and found MacLean standing in the middle of the road and flipping his neighbour the middle finger
MacLean, 53, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of engaging in a course of behaviour which caused his neighbour fear or alarm, aggravated by prejudice relating to sexual orientation.
Fiscal Depute David Morton told the court that MacLean and the complainer were neighbours in the Crown area of Inverness.
He said: “There were a variety of matters which occurred.”
‘Shouting and swearing’
Mr Morton described an incident on October 15 of 2021 when the complainer walked out of his door around 10am and was met by MacLean “shouting and swearing at him and making remarks such as he was an “a******* and the like”.
At around 11.10am there was a second chance encounter between the pair as they left their homes and the behaviour continued.
On November 11 2021 the complainer was in his front garden when MacLean began to shout at him, calling him a “paedophile” and a “p***”.
MacLean’s target then contacted police and when officers arrived the caught MacLean carrying out his abusive behaviour.
Mr Morton said: “They observed Mr MacLean to be in the middle of the street with his back turned to them. He had his right arm in the air and was sticking his middle finger up at the complainer while continuing to shout and swear.”
Solicitor Willie Young, for MacLean, told the court his client was “a decent individual” who “became embroiled in a number of exchanges” and used “unacceptable language”.
‘He behaved inappropriately’
He said MacLean regretted his actions and added: “Under the influence of alcohol he behaved inappropriately.”
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told MacLean: “I think you need some help to avoid behaving in this way.
“It is a very unpleasant way to behave to anybody, whatever the history may be.”
She placed MacLean of Crown Street, Inverness, on a community payback order with one year’s supervision as a direct alternative to custody.
