A Moray man who locked a love rival in a shed and threatened to leave him there overnight during winter has avoided a prison sentence.
Tomasz Starybrat pushed his then girlfriend’s former partner into the lock-up before telling a friend he would leave his prisoner there “for a day”.
Pawel Loranty was plunged into darkness when the door to the New Elgin shed was slammed shut behind him in December last year.
Thwarted in his attempts to break the door down, he eventually prised planks apart and sought help.
Yesterday, Starybrat, 27, was ordered to pay his victim £1,000 in compensation after he admitted abducting him by locking him in the Wellbrae Court shed against his will while acting with another.
Fiscal David Morton told Elgin Sheriff Court the two men had agreed to go for a drink on December 4 last year. He said: “They were walking for five minutes when the accused indicated he needed to get something from a nearby shed.
“When they got there, Mr Loranty noticed the door was already open. At that point he was taken inside the shed, grabbed by the arms and pushed into the ground. The accused then locked the door to the shed. Mr Loranty heard him say ‘We will leave him here for a day to see if he calms down.’”
Mr Loranty eventually escaped after prising apart planks of wood and squeezing through the gap.
“Witnesses reported seeing him “distressed” when he arrived at the nearby Kirkie pub to call the police.
In an interview with officers Starybrat, who has lived in Scotland for nine years after moving from Poland, said he had only intended to keep his victim locked up for about 20 minutes.
Defence solicitor Matthew O’Neill admitted the ordeal could have lasted up to four times as long.
Mr O’Neill told the court the duo had had a disagreement because Mr Loranty had remained in regular contact with his former girlfriend, who at the time was Starybrat’s partner.
He said: “There had been a gathering that day and discussions were less than civil. Mr Starybrat and a friend asked Mr Loranty to come away to allow some discussions to continue. “There was no plan about what would happen, but unfortunately they have taken the foolish decision to try and teach the complainer a lesson.”
Mr O’Neill added: “It was a silly impulse.”
Sheriff Chris Dickson warned Starybrat he could have been sent to prison. He said: “It’s a very serious offence.”
Starybrat, of Bain Road, Elgin, was also ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work, put under supervision for 12 months and given a six-month curfew.