A Covid-phobic man from Perth has been sentenced after spitting on the head of a police officer sent to his home in connection with a string of concerning calls to emergency services.
Raymond Tiffin previously pled guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour and the police assault at his home in Newton Place.
Tiffin spent hours calling the emergency services, telling them he had hurt a child.
Officers had to seek out the master key from Perth and Kinross Council to reach him in his home.
He kicked off and told police spitting at an officer was not an assault.
Sheriff Alison McKay placed the first offender on a curfew, keeping him at home between 7pm and 7am each night for two months.
She said: “I accept absolutely that you are a first offender and that you have had a number of difficulties in your life; however we have a situation here.
“You attended court wearing a mask and the report tells me you’re terrified of Covid.”
Concerning calls
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told Perth Sheriff Court that in the 36 hours before police attended Tiffin’s Tulloch home, they received dozens of calls from him.
On a number of them, Tiffin did not speak with the call handler but on others “he made threats to hurt a small child.”
During further calls, he told handlers to “f*** off and die.”
Just before noon, police attended Tiffin’s home but got no answer.
They sought the master key and found him inside but he immediately became “hostile and volatile”.
Tiffin spat on the head of an officer and later told police: “I spat at him, I didn’t assault him.”
Admission
Tiffin, 35, admitted threatening and abusive behaviour and assault on April 29 this year.
Sentencing had been deferred for reports.
His solicitor John McLaughlin said: “It’s his first appearance in court.
“He knows resources are limited. He has to be mindful of others. People are not just there to react to him.
“He’s not had his troubles to seek.
“The calls have ceased since he was charged.”
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
