A teenager who spat on his ex-girlfriend during a violent encounter in Crieff town centre has been branded “sordid and dirty” by a sheriff.
Callum McRae, 19, spat on the woman, while his friend Josh Chiverton, 20, beat up her new boyfriend.
The pair appeared in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted the “alarming” incident on October 11, 2019.
Sheriff Peter Anderson told McRae: “You must know that what you did was disgraceful, sordid and dirty.
“It’s the sort of thing that if it happened to you, you would have found it appalling.
“If this happened on a football field, a big fight would have followed.”
He said: “People take a dim view of being spat at.
“Not just because of the possibility of spreading disease, it’s just filthy and disgusting.”
Sheriff’s disdain for both accused
Sheriff Anderson told Chiverton: “The assault was particularly serious and you can count yourself very fortunate that you’re not facing much more serious consequences than this.
“There is a lot of publicity right now that even one punch could kill someone.
“You keep in mind that if you do something like this again, you could be facing a homicide charge.”
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall said the female victim had been in a five-year, on-off relationship with McRae, which had ended in 2017.
She said both accused followed the complainers from Crieff Hydro into the town centre, with Chiverton wolf-whistling and shouting obscene comments at the female.
“The complainers continued to walk in front of the accused.
“They occasionally engaged with them.
“They were worried that if they ignored them, it might make them more aggressive.
“On Commissioner Street, Mr Chiverton stopped to relieve his bladder.
“Whilst doing so, he shouted towards the woman: ‘You need to come and hold this’.
“She and her boyfriend understood that he was referring to his penis.
“The woman was alarmed by his comment.”
Punched victim to the ground
She continued: “The boyfriend approached Mr Chiverton, with the intention of speaking to him.
“Mr Chiverton began punching him to the head and body.
“Those punches led to him landing on the ground.
“On seeing this, his girlfriend shouted at Mr Chiverton to get off.
“The violence did stop. She went to speak to McRae, who spat in her face.”
The two victims walked home, briefly followed by Chiverton and McRae.
The incident was reported to police two days later.
Fines for both accused
Solicitor Paul Ralph, representing the two men, said: “They both know how unacceptable their behaviour was that night.
“They have made efforts to improve themselves.”
McRae, of Maxton Road, Crieff, admitted assaulting his ex-partner by spitting on her face.
He was fined £250.
Chiverton, of the town’s Corlundy Crescent, pled guilty to assaulting the woman’s boyfriend by repeatedly striking him on the head and body.
He also admitted conducting himself in a disorderly manner at the Crieff Hydro and on Commissioner Street, by making abusive remarks towards the woman and committing a breach of the peace.
He was fined £350.
