Sheriff's concern at Wick neighbour's 'downhill spiral' of abuse
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A feud between Wick neighbours got out of hand after Stephen Taylor exhibited what Sheriff Neil Wilson referred to as “a sudden downhill spiral” of abusive behaviour.
The 43-year-old repeatedly directed verbal volleys over the garden fence and on one occasion threw items over it, the town's sheriff court heard on Tuesday.
Procurator fiscal David Barclay said Taylor's garden in Cairndhuna Terrace backs on to that of Connor Fox and Stephanie Wolfe's in Harrow Terrace.
Mr Barclay said that there had been a history of ill feeling between the neighbours.
Police were involved after Taylor started shouting and swearing at the neighbouring occupants at about 8am on August 7.
"He was making random threats and general rants and throwing items over the fence," said the fiscal. "He was also making all sorts of strange gesticulations towards them."
Mr Barclay said the neighbours were worried that his conduct might escalate.
He said: "This was happening at some distance away but they were concerned that it might develop into something more immediate and sinister."
Two days later, Taylor defied a bail order imposed on August 8 when he delivered a late morning tirade towards Mr Fox and Ms Wolfe from a neighbour's garden.
Mr Barclay said: "He was incoherent. They were unable to make out exactly what he was saying to them."
On August 12, he again fell foul of the order when he started shouting at the neighbours from one of his house windows at 2.15 in the morning.
"It wasn't clear what he was saying but they made out enough to know it was directed at them."
Mr Barclay understood that the series of events happened shortly after Taylor had stopped taking prescribed medication.
"He was feeling OK so felt he could stop taking it," said the fiscal. "The difficulty was that when the ill feeling with his neighbours had again come to the surface, he wasn't able to control his behaviour, as he had before."
Taylor on Tuesday changed his plea to guilty to an amended charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
His not guilty pleas to culpable or reckless behaviour on August 3; smashing a car windscreen on August 9; malicious damage on August 10; and a breach of a court undertaking on August 22 were accepted by the Crown.
Taylor had previously admitted the two breaches of bail which had banned him contacting or approaching the couple.
His solicitor Natalie Paterson said Taylor has a history of mental ill-health and had been diagnosed with psychosis shortly before the offences. He had at this time stopped taking prescribed anti-depressants.
Ms Paterson said there has been bad blood between her client and Mr Fox and Ms Wolfe, who is a distant relative of Taylor's.
The court heard Taylor believed he was owed money and had been the victim of an assault in which he had lost three teeth. His back door had also been damaged by “somebody kicking it in”.
Ms Paterson said he now has his medication in check and that she has since seen a “remarkable” improvement in his demeanour and appearance.
"He's now a very much more calm individual," said the agent.
Sheriff Wilson said the run of offending is concerning.
"It's the sudden downhill spiral over a few days," he said. "Plainly something went wrong in early August.
"It's accepted you were on medication that was keeping you on the straight and narrow and it appears that you were overly over-optimistic about the effects of stopping the medication.
"At the age of 43, it's remarkable that it all goes horribly wrong and you suddenly amass three convictions over a period of five days.
"I want to be assured that this will not happen again."
Deferring sentence for six months for good behaviour, Sheriff Wilson said: "If you do get into trouble again, you will be immediately appearing from custody but if you have been of good behaviour, you will have nothing to worry about."
Taylor, who is on benefits, was admonished on one of the breaches.
He will appear back for sentence on the other two charges on April 3, 2024.
