A dispute between two rural north-east neighbours escalated to the point where one man threatened to “butcher” the other’s family.
Raymond Panton, was found outside a farmhouse near New Deer brandishing a three-foot pole and shouting that his neighbour had “gone too far this time”.
The 59-year-old told his neighbour he was “going to thrash him half to death” and “let him watch as he butchered half his family”.
He also threatened that he would “put his car in flames”.
‘You have gone too far’
Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAllister told Peterhead Sheriff Court: “At around 2.30am on July 13, 2020 the couple were asleep at home when they heard banging and shouting from outside.
“The accused was shouting at them ‘you have gone too far’.
“The complainer went outside and saw Panton in possession of a three-foot piece of piping. Panton told him he was going to thrash him half to death and let him watch as he butchered half his family.”
Just one week before this incident Panton had been spotted on the farm’s security system walking about with a petrol can and a lit cigarette. he was seen setting fire to a fence there, which the homeowners later found with one post “blackened”.
Custody provided change to ‘reset’
Defence agent Stuart Flowerdew told the court the incidents stemmed from a “neighbour dispute” which had been exacerbated by Panton’s failure to take his mental health medication and drinking too much alcohol.
“He spent some time in custody prior to his latest community payback order served in October,” Mr Flowerdew added. “That appears to have been the reset he was requiring.
“Working with social work has changed the way he perceived things that were going on.”
He earlier admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner by uttering threats of violence and threats to kill, being in possession of an offensive weapon, and a further charge of wilful fire-raising.
Unpaid work ordered
Sentencing was previously deferred for background reports and today Sheriff Robert McDonald told Panton, of Parkhill Stores, Greens, he must be under supervision for nine months and carry out 144 hours of unpaid work during that time period.
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