A man talked his way into a jail sentence during fiery exchange with a sheriff in an Aberdeen court.
Peter McCaffrey had appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court over two minor assaults on police officers.
During the course of the hearing, it looked likely that the 60-year-old’s sentence would be deferred for reports and he’d be allowed to walk free.
However, McCaffrey repeated interrupted proceedings and persistently asked Sheriff Andrew Miller: “Do I look worried?”
Accused has alcohol problem
Despite the sheriff allowing McCaffrey ample opportunity to “sit down and be quiet”, the disruptions continued, prompting Sheriff Miller to exclaim exasperatedly: “This is a waste of time.”
McCaffrey, of Summer Street, Aberdeen, had pled guilty to two charges of assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty by pushing them.
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened on March 22 on Summer Street.
She said McCaffrey had, “without warning”, pushed a female and a male police constable to the chest area, causing them each to take a step backwards.
‘I’ll do what I want’
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston told the court his client had a “chronic” problem with alcohol which had been exacerbated by his wife’s ill health.
During the hearing though, McCaffrey repeatedly tried to walk out of the dock and talked over the various legal professionals.
When Sheriff Miller proposed to defer sentence for a background social work report, McCaffrey repeatedly crowed: “Do I look worried?”
He also stated “I’ll do what I want” amongst other incoherent, inaudible mutterings.
Eventually, Sheriff Miller, referring to ordering a social work report and McCaffrey’s uncooperative attitude, said: “This is a waste of time.”
He jailed him for two months.
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