A FATHER and son who took the law into their own hands by confronting Longforgan’s “neighbours from hell” were told at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday that they could not behave as if they were in the “wild west.”

“Decent, hard-working family man” Vincent Rice (41), of Paterson Place, Longforgan, felt driven to assault two members of the Watson family in their own home last summer and had the sympathy of the village for doing so, the court heard.

Rice was accompanied by his son Gary (21), of Morgan Street, Dundee, when he entered the house and assaulted Stephen and Timothy Watson.

The straw that broke the camel’s back, according to Vincent Rice’s solicitor, was a threat made to his partner’s children by a member of the Watson family.

Vincent Rice admitted that, on June 3, at a house in Patterson Place, he assaulted Stephen Watson and repeatedly punched him on the head to his injury and that he assaulted Timothy Watson, seized hold of him and dragged him by his clothing and punched him repeatedly on the head to his injury.

Both Rices admitted conducting themselves in a disorderly manner, entering the house without the permission of the owner and causing fear and alarm to persons within, committing a breach of the peace.

Vincent Rice was fined £1500 and Gary £400.

Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy told the court that Stephen Watson (19) and his brother Timothy (18) were at home with their sister and three friends.

Stephen was in the living room lifting weights when he became aware of the door being opened quickly and the two accused entering.

Vincent Rice asked Stephen if he was Timothy Watson and the reply was no. Vincent then began punching him.

The Rices left the room and Stephen Watson was said to be so alarmed that he ran out of the back door with no shoes or upper clothing, jumped a fence and ran into a neighbour’s house to phone the police.

The two men made their way up the stairs to a bedroom where Timothy Watson was with friends.

Gary Rice asked where Timothy was. Vincent then grabbed him by the T-shirt, dragged him to the floor and repeatedly punched him. The complainer struck his head on a radiator as he fell and was said to be begging Vincent Rice to stop hitting him.

Both men left and were later traced by police officers. Neither of the Watson brothers required hospital treatment but they sustained swelling and bruising to their heads.

Vincent Rice’s solicitor Gary McIlravey said that the Watsons were well known in Longforgan to be “a family of neighbours from hell” who carried out vandalism and hooliganism.

He described his client as mild mannered and said he was not the type to normally get involved in any incidents.

Mr McIlravey described a series of incidents, allegedly involving the Watsons, which preceded the assaults, including the slashing of tyres on Rice’s vehicle and vandalism to it.

He added, “The incident which followed was the straw which broke the camel’s back. The Watsons’ sister said, ‘If we can’t get your dad we’re going after you’ to his partner’s children.”

This pushed Rice over the edge and he acted in a manner which he now accepts was “wholly inappropriate.”

Mr McIlravey said the Watsons have since moved from the area and “the weight of sympathy in the village lies with Mr Rice, not with the Watsons.”

Rice, who has no previous convictions, was said to be embarrassed and appalled by his behaviour.

Gary Rice’s solicitor Chris Fyffe said his client had accompanied his father to try to prevent matters escalating and succeeded in this by removing his father from the Watsons’ house.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said, “I’ve little doubt that there is something in the background that caused Mr Rice to act in the way he did. He lost it and he behaved in a totally inappropriate way. This is ‘wild west’ stuff and in a civilised society you cannot act in this way, and I suspect he knows that.

“You simply cannot take the law into your own hands, no matter how tried you may be.”