A convicted criminal exploded with rage at a community service placement because he believed he was being forced to work alongside a paedophile.
Andrew McKiddie approached a man who was also serving a community payback order and demanded to know if he had sexually abused children.
The 45-year-old then began shouting “beasts” and “monsters” and insisted that he should not be made to work with sex offenders.
McKiddie was ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work in July last year after being convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour and culpable and reckless conduct.
Fiscal depute Tina Dickie told Perth Sheriff Court: “The locus is a unit for administering the employment of people on community payback orders – that was why the accused was at the locus on December 14.
“The accused approached Mr Clark and began asking him if he was a paedophile, which Mr Clark denied.”
McKiddie then turned on a member of staff.
Ms Dickie continued: “The accused was demanding to know what the others’ offences were, specifically if there were any paedophiles.
“Mr Taylor said he could not discuss other offenders and this seemed to anger the accused further. He began making phone calls to his case worker and a social worker, saying he didn’t want to work with beasts or monsters.
“After hanging up the accused began shouting ‘beasts’ and ‘monsters’. Mr Taylor warned him but the accused said if there were any beasts or monsters on the assignment he would chainsaw them.”
The father-of-four later told police: “I will not work with sex offenders – the fools who made me work with sex offenders should be hauled up. Sex offenders should not be accepted in public anyway.”
Solicitor Bob Bruce, representing McKiddie, said he had received a phone call from the accused at the time of the offence.
He said: “He telephoned me and I advised him that he had no control over who was on his assignment.
“He let the matter spill over and accepts he should have walked away. He now accepts his actions were wrong.”
McKiddie admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Perth and Kinross Council’s Westbank House, on Jeanfield Road, Perth, by shouting, swearing and uttering threats on December 14 last year.
Sheriff William Wood told McKiddie: “You have got to realise that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable.
“Your behaviour has taken you to unpaid work and you should not ask questions about others – you are not allowed to pick and choose.”
He deferred sentence on McKiddie, of Lower Mill Street, Blairgowrie, until next month.
