A man has been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to hiding under the floorboards of a house in a bid to evade arrest.
Callum Rae, 20, of Riddell Terrace in Linlathen, used a hatch in a hall cupboard to hide from police after arguing with his partner at an address in Forfar.
Neighbours had overheard him shouting and swearing at her at the property on Christmas Eve this year and promptly called the police.
Officers arrived at the property and were told by his partner that he was not there – but found him beneath the hatch and convinced him to come out.
Fiscal depute Lynne Mannion told Dundee Sheriff Court: “A neighbour could hear noises coming from the address and raised voices.
“The neighbour believed it sounded like the accused was shouting at the complainer, and heard her shout ‘ouch’ followed by crying. The voice shouted ‘get off me’.
“Another neighbour could also hear banging and a loud thump.
“Police were contacted. They arrived and the officer identified herself and shouted through the letterbox – the shouting stopped within the property.
“The officer knocked on the door and the complainer answered. She said she was alone in the property with two children.”
Police then entered the property and conducted a search, failing to find Rae until they discovered the hatch in a hall cupboard covered by a loose piece of carpet.
Ms Mannion added: “Police uncovered the hole and asked the complainer if the accused was there.
“She said he wasn’t but it turned out he was there. There were several attempts to engage with him through the floor hatch and he was eventually convinced to come out.”
Rae’s solicitor said the 20-year-old didn’t have a “long (criminal) record” but Sheriff Lorna Drummond opted to remand him in custody in order to commission reports.
She told Rae: “These are three new offences and that concerns me. You are young but I’ve got quite a record here.
“You’ve not been to jail before so I can’t give you any custody today without getting a report before I decide what the sentence is.
“I don’t have any confidence as it’s take a long time to get you back to court – you’re not getting bail today.”
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Rae admitted to a charge of shouting and swearing at his partner at an address in Forfar on December 24 and a second charge of hiding beneath floorboards in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice at the same time and place.
He also admitted to breaching a bail order granted on May 24 at the same time and place.
He was remanded in custody until January 17 in order to prepare a criminal justice and social work report.
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