The victim of an off-duty police officer who verbally and physically accosted her as she walked her dogs in woodland says she is “disgusted” by a sheriff’s decision to let him off without punishment.
Michael Tindal, 37, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards the terrified mum as walked through Cove Community Woodland with her dogs and baby in a pram.
Tindal – who was initially charged with assaulting the woman by twisting her arm up her back – admitted a lesser charge of causing her alarm by shouting and placing his hand on her shoulder.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston admonished Tindal, of Cove Wynd, Cove Bay, which means it will be recorded as a conviction and will appear on his criminal record but he will receive no other penalty.
Tindal’s 38-year-old victim – who does not want to be named – described him as a “coward and a bully” and said she was “disgusted” by the outcome as she had wanted her day in court.
“This is not the type of person we want policing the streets,” she said.
“I wanted to take this to court but by him pleading guilty I feel my voice hasn’t been heard.
“I’ve lost all faith in the criminal justice system and the police over this.”
‘I thought I had run into a mad man in the woods’
She described the terrifying altercation, in which a ranting and raving Tindal approached her.
“He was shouting in my face and telling me he was the police – I thought I had run into a mad man in the woods,” she said.
“I thought ‘I’m in the woods with a baby and I’ve run into a psycho’.”
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court that at 2.20pm the woman was pushing her baby in a pram while walking her dogs when she encountered Tindal, who was also walking his dogs.
“What transpired is that her dogs went near the accused’s dogs, which resulted in him shouting and swearing towards her,” the fiscal depute said.
“He approached her and said, ‘get your f****** dogs on the lead if they cannot do what they are told’ and that he is sick of his dogs being attacked.
“Thereafter a confrontation was continued between the pair, with the complainer struggling to attach the lead to her dog.
“The accused then said that he wished to have her name so he could report her to the dog warden.”
According to Mr McMann, Tindal then placed his hand on the woman’s shoulder and attempted to stop her from leaving – this resulted in her panicking and screaming.
Members of the public were alerted by the screaming and made sure Tindal stayed at the scene until police were contacted.
‘My heart was pumping out of my chest’
The woman said that during the frightening incident Tindal put his hand on her and stated: “We’re going to sort this out. We’re going to sort this out.”
She said Tindal then fell “completely silent”.
“My heart was pumping out of my chest. I did not know what he was going to do,” she added.
In the dock, Tindal pleaded guilty to one charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at a woman who was unknown to him and placing his hand on her.
Defence advocate Gareth Jones told the court that Tindal had been a serving police officer since 2009 and was someone who had an “exemplary work history”.
He stated Tindal had been out walking his dogs that day – both of which were trained gun dogs – when they encountered the complainer’s dogs which were “off the lead”.
“It is Mr Tindal’s position that one of those dogs bit his dog on the leg causing it to yelp,” Mr Jones said.
“He accepts that he was overly protective of that dog because it has been attacked before – and it’s with that background that he approached the complainer.”
Mr Jones said this moment was the “catalyst” for an argument between Tindal and the woman, adding that his client “accepts that he shouted and swore and amongst of other things to get her f****** dog on the lead.”
The advocate continued: “That led to the complainer announcing that she was going to call the police, and, in that context, he revealed he was a police officer.
“She went to leave and he placed his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from doing so in an effort to continue this argument.
“He accepts now with the benefit of hindsight he should have let it go – it was a bad decision that have resulted in devastating consequences for him.”
Cop on ‘restricted duties’ due to incident
Mr Jones revealed Tindal had been on “restricted duties behind desk” for 15 months since the incident.
He will also face an internal police investigation into his actions which Mr Jones said could have “extreme consequences” as far as Tindal’s “continued employment in the police service is concerned”.
“He has been punished on this to some extent already,” Mr Jones added.
Sentencing Tindal, Sheriff Johnston told the police officer that she did not consider this to be a “trivial incident”.
“This may have had an impact on the complainer who was made subject to threatening behaviour by you, and you attempted to stop her leaving the locus,” she said.
However, Sheriff Johnston concluded that she felt Tindal had “already been punished” in terms of his restricted police duties and so admonished him.
Outside court, The Press and Journal asked Tindal if he wished to apologise to his victim but the police officer stayed silent and walked off.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the outcome of the court proceedings and a report will be prepared for the Deputy Chief Constable in line with the Police Service of Scotland (Conduct) Regulations 2014.”
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