A sheriff has called for background reports to be prepared on a 23-year-old man from Kinross before he is sentenced for making a series of violent threats towards police then attempting to set his dog on them.
Michael Horne was put on a structured deferred sentence last year for uttering threats towards officers like “I’m going to f***ing stab you” and “I’m going to kick your f***ing c*** in” then ordering his Staffordshire bull terrier to attack them.
Perth Sheriff Court previously heard Horne grew hostile towards police almost immediately after they arrived outside his home in Avenue Road on July 2, 2020, firstly by asking them “what the f***” they were doing at his door then following this up by telling them to “f*** off”.
Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis said Horne then picked up the bull terrier and told it to “f***ing get them” but to no effect.
“The dog has approached the police in a friendly manner and was placed in the police van,” she said.
Horne previously admitted to a single charge of acting in an aggressive manner, repeatedly shouting and swearing, repeatedly charging towards police officers, repeatedly uttering offensive remarks, repeatedly uttering threats of violence towards police officers and instructing a dog to attack them.
This week sheriff James MacDonald asked court officials to prepare a full criminal justice social work report on Horne and an assessment of his suitability to carry out unpaid work as part of his punishment.
Adjourning the case until March 23 the sheriff remarked: “This was by no means a trivial matter.”
