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‘I will be at your house every night’: Joiner threatened his boss as he demanded his wages

Barry Laing's "dramatic" bad behaviour was the result of "frustration" - his defence lawyer told the court.

Barry Laing outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Image: DC Thomson
Barry Laing outside Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Image: DC Thomson

A man has admitted being abusive to his boss and threatening to stalk him if he didn’t get paid.

Barry Laing, 46, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court – facing charges of threatening his employer Ryan Calvert.

Fiscal depute Clare Stewart told the court Laing, a fully qualified joiner, had been sub-contracting for Mr Calvert’s campervan conversion business on the city’s Urquhart Road.

On July 15 last year, Laing turned up wanting to talk with Mr Calvert, after starting work earlier that month, on July 4.

Ms Stewart said Laing had been “pleasant at first” but then began to make remarks about Mr Calvert’s home address.

Barry Laing leaving Aberdeen Sheriff Court on a previous occasion
Barry Laing leaving Aberdeen Sheriff Court on a previous occasion in an unrelated case. Image: DC Thomson

“He began behaving in a threatening manner and said, ‘You realise I am from a travelling family’ and demanded his wages,” she said.

He told Mr Calvert: “It will cost you so much more”.

The fiscal depute told the court that Mr Calvert had asked what Laing had meant by his remark.

She said that Laing replied: “Your dad is ex-police – you can get him to check up on me. I will be here every day and at your house every night”.

Ms Stewart added: “Mr Calvert had felt threatened and he then contacted the police”.

‘He said these things through frustration’

Laing’s defence counsel Bruce McDonald said his client had been taken on as “an employee” and had “given his National Insurance number, etc” and had been asking Mr Calvert about his wages.

“He kept getting fobbed off,” Mr McDonald claimed.

“Two days earlier, he had been asked to fit a sink into a campervan, despite telling Mr Calvert he didn’t think it would fit.

“Mr Calvert had told him to ‘just get on with it’. He did as instructed but it didn’t fit. Mr Calvert took ill at this and that is when the disagreement arose.”

Mr McDonald said Laing had been told to invoice Mr Calvert for the time he had worked and added: “He admits he said these things through frustration”.

‘There has been a lull in your offending but then a dramatic rise’

Before passing sentence, Sheriff Shirley McKenna told Laing he had caused “fear and alarm” to Mr Calvert with his threatening behaviour.

After looking at Laing’s criminal record for previous offending, the sheriff added: “I can see that you have been without trouble for some time.

“There has been a lull in your offending but then a dramatic rise.”

She fined Laing £300, reduced to £200 for his guilty plea, and added a victim surcharge of £10.

Laing, of John Street in Aberdeen, was told he had 60 days to pay the £210 penalty.

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