A man banned from speaking to his mother until 2024 has told a court he cannot co-operate with social workers because he has a fear of wearing a mask.
Scott Mitchell was barred from speaking to his mother for three years and was ordered to take part in social work supervision for the same period last November.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told Mitchell had refused to take part in the social work sessions, claiming he could not wear a mask.
His solicitor Lisa Campbell told the court: “He has some difficulties with anxiety and has a phobia about mask wearing.
“He was advised to wear a mask to social work appointments but is unable to do that.
“He has indicated that he will engage with the order.
“He is not able to wear a mask.”
Refuses to use phones or email
Sheriff John Rafferty said: “There is no vouching for this at all – just his say so.
“The most concerning thing is that he is not prepared to discuss anything with the criminal justice team.
“It is an absolutely awful [social work] report.
“He is not prepared to use a mobile phone because he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t like texting, he doesn’t want to use email.
“He is making it very difficult for anything other than a custodial sentence to be imposed.”
He told Mitchell: “I am not at all impressed by your attitude towards this order, which has been designed to help keep you out of prison.
“I will give you the opportunity to find a doctor to give you a medical exemption.
“If you don’t take responsibility then it may well be that you leave the court with nothing to do but send you to jail.
“If you cannot wear a mask then you need to obtain medical vouching that you cannot wear a mask.”
The sheriff continued the breach review until May.
Banned from seeing mother
Mitchell was made the subject of a three-year contact ban after breaking his mother’s television by punching it during a row in her home.
Mitchell, 29, from Dundee, admitted shouting and swearing at his mother and damaging a TV by punching it in the city’s Balunie Drive on July 5.
He also admitted pushing PC Greg Dempster on the body.
The sheriff placed Mitchell under social work supervision for three years and imposed an additional conduct order to run alongside it.
The conduct order requires Mitchell “not to approach or contact” his mother for the duration of the community payback order.
He was also ordered to stay away from her home for the same period and attend whatever courses ordered by social workers.
The court heard Mitchell had flown into a rage while in his mother’s home and had thrown a punch at the television, smashing it and causing £1,000 damage.
He then continued to kick off when the police arrived in response to his mother’s call and he pushed one of the officers as they tried to bring him under control.
