A former traffic warden who runs a popular dashcam webpage aimed at shaming rogue motorists landed in court after he posted a series of bizarre Facebook posts about his next-door neighbour.
Robert Hunter was reported to police by Margaret Andrew after she spotted pictures of herself, her daughter and their home on the social media site.
Posting under a pseudonym, Mr Hunter also alleged his neighbour was a blue badge abuser and branded people who take advantage of disability parking as “scum”, although he later claimed the comment was not directed at Ms Andrew.
Hunter appeared at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted causing inconvenience, annoyance and needless anxiety to Ms Andrew between February and July last year by persistently posting photos and comments on a Facebook page under a false name, regarding Ms Andrew and her family.
The 50-year-old, from Perth, was fined £200.
Sheriff Michael Fletcher told him: “I think you understand that some of the things you were posting were not acceptable, particularly the comment about ‘scum’. You can’t carry on doing that.”
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson said Hunter and his neighbour had repeatedly reported each other to the council over boundary issues and parking problems.
“Unless things have recently changed between them, it’s fair to say that they don’t get on,” he told the court.
“One day she received a Facebook request from a man called James White. Although she didn’t recognise the name she accepted the request but later cancelled it. It turned out to be Mr Hunter posting under a false name.”
Mr Richardson said Ms Andrew and her daughter had received counselling after seeing the posts.
Solicitor Laura Queen said: “Mr Hunter used to be a traffic warden and rightly or wrongly he posted his public view on blue badge parking on a forum like this.
“He didn’t think what he was doing was illegal but in hindsight he’s shown remorse. He is now looking to leave his home.”