Crieff teenager set bull terrier on police

Oct 16 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A TEENAGER lost the plot when police turned up at his house after a family argument.

Nineteen-year-old Gordon Dewar was so enraged he set a bull terrier on the officers and incited it to attack them.

But Perth Sheriff Court was told that the normally aggressive animal “failed to live up to its billing”.

And although it initially ran at them and began barking, the dog then ran away.

The incident, part of a catalogue of offending, led to Dewar, formerly of Croftnappoch Place in Crieff, being given 10 months’ detention this week.

The court heard that Dewar had asked for money that evening to go out but his mother had tried to persuade him to stay at home.

“This resulted in an argument which led to him becoming agitated and depressed,” according to depute fiscal Robbie Brown. “Members of the family called the police.

“When officers arrived, they tried to deal with the situation as best they could but it set the accused off even worse and he started shouting and swearing.”

After the incident involving the bull terrier, police tried to defuse the situation and didn’t immediately enter the house.

They spoke to the accused through the door but he started banging on the window. He then punched it and an officer had to jump clear to avoid the breaking glass.

Police gave the accused some time to quieten down and he eventually gave himself up and was arrested.

Dewar, who is now staying on his father’s boat in London, admitted charges of breach of the peace and recklessly breaking the window at the Crieff address on February 9.

A not guilty plea to brandishing a knife at four officers was accepted by the prosecution.

He also pled guilty to breaching a previous bail order banning him from approaching his mother’s house.

Solicitor Linda Clark said that since living with his father, the accused hadn’t been in any trouble and had become involved in a programme where he assisted victims of crime and helped repair homes which had been burgled.

She asked the court not to impose a custodial sentence.

But the sheriff told him: “Having regard to the nature of these offences and your record of previous convictions, I consider there is no alternative disposal appropriate other than periods of detention.”

He was given 10 months in total, backdated to September 23, when he was remanded in custody.