An Angus man who threatened a hairdresser over a fox fur window display returned to splash red paint over her shop while posing as an animal rights activist.
Simon Drahony from Montrose told staff at the town’s 3sixty to remove the 100-year-old fur from their window in January, and then returned with a 24-hour ultimatum a week later.
Owner Dawn Kerr took the item out of the window to avoid reprisals.
But Forfar Sheriff Court heard the 58-year-old became enraged when police activity over the incident made local headlines, and took a tin of gloss to the shop’s frontage on February 1.
The first offender then posted a red-ink message through the door, which purported to be from an animal rights group and warned “we act outwith the law”.
The shop changes its window display every month and decided on a Burns theme for that month.
The mannequin in the window had a tartan bodice and a skirt made out of wigs as well as the fur, which belonged to a member of staff’s great-grandmother.
However Drahony said the fur was “upsetting everybody in Montrose” when he first visited the Murray Street shop and spoke to Ms Kerr, 43.
Depute fiscal Kirsten Thomson said Drahony repeated to an employee: “You have 24 hours to take the fox fur out of the window”.
Ms Thomson said the shop had to be industrially cleaned, sanded and repainted, costing around £500.
Defence agent Nick Markowski said the second visit “should have been the end of the matter” but his client was incensed by press coverage of the incident, which was referred to Police Scotland.
Drahony, of Little Nursery, admitted committing a breach of the peace and vandalism.
Sheriff Gregor Murray told Drahony that forcing beliefs on others “becomes unacceptable”.
Sentence was deferred to April 14 for the preparation of reports. He was bailed with the condition that he does not approach Ms Kerr or the shop.
Photo by Angus Pictures