A thief who attacked a farmer over his “right to roam” was secretly living in his victim’s caravan on his land.
Peter Thomson was carrying a knife and bizarrely claimed the static caravan was his when he was quizzed by livestock farmer Jonathan Weir.
Thomson, 38, from Falkirk, told Mr Weir the caravan was his because he had the keys to it.
He had stolen them when he broke into the farm’s tool shed.
Solicitor Martin Morrow, defending, told Dundee Sheriff Court his client “had gone off the rails” and “things had been “going badly wrong”.
Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the court a boy had spotted Thomson in the area and reported it to Mr Weir.
“Mr Weir approached the accused and asked what he was doing,” Miss Robertson said. “He said he was exercising his right to roam.”
Thomson denied having been in the shed but when Mr Weir demanded he show the contents of his bag, he recognised the caravan keys.
Thomson tried to walk away but Mr Weir said he would follow him until the police arrived and the accused tried to punch him.
Thomson admitted breaking into a shed at Whitehills Farm, Blackford, Perthshire, on June 27 and stealing a knife and other items and assaulting Mr Weir by trying to punch him.
He admitted breaching a curfew by failing to be in his home on November 15 and sentence was deferred for reports by Sheriff Lorna Drummond.
