An Angus woman threatened to kill her neighbour after her son failed to get in touch on Mother’s Day, a court heard.
Mandy Griffiths or Laugharne from Forfar attacked her friendly neighbour Douglas Ford’s door with a hammer over the suspicion he had stolen money from her earlier this year.
The 40-year-old appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted causing a breach of the peace in the town’s Goosecroft on March 26.
The court heard Griffiths had entrusted the man with her benefits money after encountering addiction problems.
Griffiths admitted causing a breach of the peace, shouting and swearing, uttering threats of violence and hitting Mr Ford’s door with a hammer.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said: “The complainer is a neighbour of the accused, Mr Ford.
“On March 23 he was asked to take possession of her benefits money, with the arrangement that if she wanted any she just needed to ask.
“Mr Ford took out £15 and…went out to run the accused’s errands.
“She began to argue about the money and was accusing him of stealing money from the envelope.
“The accused was in her home address, and walked a short distance to Mr Ford’s door.
“Witnesses who were outside playing football, then saw accused hitting the door with a hammer.”
Griffiths shouted: “Give me my money or I’ll kill you.”
Mr Duncan added: “The noise and commotion from this caused the people there to phone the police.”
Defence agent Billy Rennie said his client had previous convictions from an English court and her latest conviction was from 2014.
He described the man as a “neighbour and a friend”.
Sheriff Alison McKay interjected: “And she went round to his house and threatened to kill him?”
Mr Rennie continued: “In order to help her come off drugs he’s taken care of her benefits.
“He is fully supportive of her and has attended court today.
“It was Mother’s Day and she hadn’t heard from her son who is 21.
“She started drinking and she doesn’t even remember it.”
Deferring sentence to July 27, Sheriff McKay said: “I think this is serious enough to impose unpaid work and I can’t do that without a report.”
