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Wild camper in row winds up in Inverness Sheriff Court


By Ali Morrison

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The Inverness Justice Centre.
The Inverness Justice Centre.

A FARMER who went to investigate a fire on her land got involved in a blazing row with a wild camper who had pitched in a field near Dores.

Stephen Burnside, of Esk Road, Inverness took exception to the farmer’s intervention on July 18 last year and the 40-year-old began shouting at the woman.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that the police were called but the row escalated when Burnside was heard to say: “I have a shotgun too and I will shoot your husband.”

But defence solicitor John MacColl was quick to put the comment into context for Sheriff Robert Frazer. The lawyer told him: “The farmer said her husband was entitled to shoot him and my client responded. He didn’t have a shotgun, the farmer probably did.”

Fiscal depute David Morton said that Burnside was told to keep his dogs under control as there was livestock nearby. “But he took umbrage to that as well. Police went to arrest him and he struggled with the officers,” Mr Morton added.

Burnside admitted behaving in a threatening manner and struggling with police. Sentence was deferred for a background report and a personal appearance until October 7.

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