Castletown couple’s home trashed in ‘vigilante’ attack
A Castletown couple returned to their home to find it had been trashed, a sheriff was told.
The victims of what was termed “a vigilante attack” were not insured for the damage caused, amounting to £800, and lost their £700 deposit on the property they rented in Calder Square, Castletown.
In the dock at Wick Sheriff Court on Wednesday were Colin MacNeill (32), of Calder Square, Castletown, and 38-year-old Darryl Thomson, who lives in St Peter’s Road, Thurso.
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan described the distressing scene that confronted the couple when they returned home from a visit to Thurso, on September 5, last year.
Several tables were smashed, some items of furniture were damaged, a bathroom sink had been torn from the wall and an electric fire was broken.
The police were contacted and officers reviewed CCTV footage showing Thomson leaving the rear of the house. The door wasn’t secure as there was a problem with the lock.
The two accused were arrested in Calder Square. MacNeill assaulted two policemen there.
Thomson behaved in a threatening or abusive manner after being taken to Wick police station.
He told PC Stephen Todd, whom he disliked: “I will stretch you when I see you again... I will splatter your nose all over your face.”
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Both men pleaded guilty and Thomson admitted having caused the damage to the house.
Solicitor Sarah-Jane Macfarlane described his motive as “a self-appointed vigilante” but didn’t elaborate.
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She said that the accused regretted his behaviour and he had accepted that drink was an issue in his life, although he was trying to get help for it.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald, for McNeill, suggested that her client might not be fit to undertake unpaid work.
Sheriff Wilson observed: “He was fit enough to assault the police.”
McNeill was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work while under supervision.
The sheriff said that Thomson’s conduct was “particularly serious” and ordered him to carry out 120 hours of paid work and pay the victims compensation of £1500.
The sheriff added that both men were “on the cusp” of a prison sentence and warned them that if they failed to comply with their unpaid work, a custodial sentence was inevitable.