An Angus man will spend his birthday behind bars after being remanded on a charge of letting his Staffordshire Bull Terrier off its lead to chase a 13-year-old girl and grab her arm.
Alexander Steele was slammed by a sheriff at Forfar after turning up late for a hearing in his case, despite living close to the court, and the judge revoked an arrest warrant he had earlier granted to instead place the accused on remand two days ahead of his 48th birthday.
Steele, of Restenneth Drive, Forfar will now be held in custody until his October 10 trial in relation to charges of breaching the peace, threatening young girls and letting his dog go after one of them in an incident near his home on May.
He has also denied headbutting, punching and banging one of the youngster’s head off a wall.
The dog charge alleges that on May 9 at Restenneth Drive, Steele behaved in a threatening manner towards three 13-year-old girls by shouting and swearing at them and let his Staffordshire Bull Terrier off its lead, allowing it to chase one of the girls whereby it grabbed her by the arm, ripping her jacket.
Steele has also denied breaching the peace on the same date by behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at two of the girls, pointing his finger in the face of one of them, threatening them both with violence and acting in an aggressive manner.
The assault charge involving one girl alleges that he grabbed her by the neck, butted her and punched her on the head, shoved her on the body, grabbed her by the hair and neck and banged her head against a wall, all to her injury.
Sheriff Gregor Murray granted an arrest warrant during Tuesday morning proceedings at Forfar, but more than an hour later Steele arrived in court.
The sheriff expressed concern over the accused’s demeanour in the dock, but defence solicitor Nick Markowski said that was due to Steele’s consumption of methadone and gabapentin prescriptions, the effects of which would wear off as the day wore on.
“He advises that he was in court but had been caught in a downpour on his way and had gone to dry off,” said the solicitor.
Sheriff Murray told Steele: “I am usually very tolerant of people who have methadone prescriptions to get.
“I recognise the difficulties which exist in people getting their methadone prescription and being here.
“This, however, is the second occasion you have not turned up and you stay a few hundred yards from the court.”
