A man who called Moray MP Douglas Ross a “f****** Tory” and compared the Conservative Party to Nazis has since adopted a “more measured way of communicating”, a court has heard.
David Levon, 59, shouted and swore at the politician and his staff during a foul-mouthed rant that left the leader of the Scottish Conservatives fearing for his own safety.
Levon, a musician from Forres, was found guilty of being threatening and abusive on two occasions at the MP’s constituency office on the town’s High Street.
On the second occasion, he returned to the office with his baby daughter strapped to his chest while he hurled abuse.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that the offender was charged after two incidents on November 9 and November 11 2020, when he uttered remarks “indicating a desire to commit an act of violence” against staffers.
Levon’s defence agent Andrew Ormiston told Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov that his client has since been assessed by a psychologist for an “underlying condition” for which “coping mechanisms” have been identified.
Mr Ormiston said: “Mr Levon recognises that others would have seen his comments as threatening and abusive.
“It is promising that he recognises that a more measured way of communicating is best adopted when dealing with others and it seems that he has learned that direct confrontation is not appropriate.”
Levon was sentenced to a Community Payback Order requiring him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work within six months.
He’ll also be under the supervision of social workers for 12 months.
Sentencing had previously been deferred while the court investigated whether Levon was a danger to the public.
Sheriff Pasportnikov told him: “I think you understand now that you might not mean to come across in such a way that others can perceive as being threatening and abusive and you’ve taken steps to try and get assistance with that.
“Nevertheless, it was a concern for various reasons in the UK at the time that MPs can sometimes be targets. I accept that on this occasion that was not the case.
“You received some education during the trial. It pays to listen as well as to be heard sometimes.”
‘Robust debate’
The confrontation between Levon and Douglas Ross was so severe that it was the first time Mr Ross was concerned for his and staff members’ safety.
Mr Ross, who is also an MSP for the Highlands and Islands region, spoke to the Press and Journal after the case.
He said: “I accept that there will always be robust debate in politics and I think it’s healthy that we are able to disagree with people at times.
“But that doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable in the way that we conduct ourselves.
“The incident was the culmination of a number of patterns of behaviour by the individual that was causing concern and alarm to both me and the people who work with me.
“No one should have to go to work worried about their own safety.
“Today’s ruling that Mr Levon will now take part in unpaid work is, for me, a resolution for the issue.”
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