A husband who provoked an armed police response when he removed his wife’s shotgun from a locked cabinet has been ordered to undertake a domestic abuse programme.
Andrew Walters, 67, became angry and upset when his wife spurned his affections after he’d organised a surprise gift to be delivered for her at their home – which she then rejected.
Days later, his wife returned home to find the front door locked and a picture message from Walters sent to her phone that showed a picture of a shotgun she owned.
It included a garbled message that suggested he had gotten hold of the keys to his wife’s gun cabinet and had removed her shotgun.
Worried, Walters’ wife reported him to the police and a team of firearms officers quickly swooped on their home in Durris, near Banchory.
When Walters eventually gave himself up to police he was noted to be in an “agitated and intoxicated” state.
Police later found four mature cannabis plants at his property, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Andrew Walters became violent and abusive
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird told the court at a previous hearing that between 10 and 11am on October 6 this year the postman had delivered a package to Walters’ home which he presented to his wife but got no response.
A short time later, the woman asked where the gift was and Walters showed her it and beckoned her over but she refused.
The couple did not speak over the weekend but Walter’s, angry about his gift being rejected, later called his wife a “bitch” and a “whore”.
During a subsequent argument, Walters grabbed his wife by the ear and pulled her into the dining room to show her the object he’d purchased.
On the evening of October 9, Walters’ wife left their home to attend a meeting leaving her husband in the house.
When she returned at around 9.30pm she found the front door to the property locked and when she returned to her car she found her husband had forwarded a WhatsApp picture of her shotgun.
It included the words: “How exciting. Cabinet keys. A whore of a wife. Cannabis heaven. Good night.”
Walters sent a further message stating: “f**k off, slut.”
Wife contacted police
The woman called the police as she realised Walters had managed to gain access to her locked gun cabinet and had removed a shotgun.
Firearms officers arrived at around 11pm and made numerous attempts call Walters via telephone but got no response.
His wife informed the officers that she thought he might be under the influence of cannabis and “may have been growing it in a greenhouse at the locus”, Ms Laird said.
Later that night, Walter’s complied with the firearms officers and gave himself up but was seen to be in an “agitated and intoxicated state”.
As he was arrested, Walters stated that he had been “asleep in bed” and told officers “you woke me up” and that they were to “leave his dogs alone”.
At 3.25am officers went to the rear of Walters’ property and found four mature plants that later turned out to cannabis.
Appearing in the dock, Walters pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive to his partner and a second charge of being in possession of a shotgun for which he did not have a certificate.
‘He was not thinking rationally’
Defence solicitor Paul Barnett described the case as “quite an unusual one” but emphasized his client had a “limited record”.
“This whole episode is against the backdrop of a 47-year marriage,” Mr Barnett said.
“It resulted in Mr Walters buying an item which was supposed to be a light-hearted gesture and a bit of fun.
“He then seeks solace at the bottle and was drinking very heavily – he was not thinking rationally at all.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge described Walters’ actions as “concerning” and “abusive” towards his wife.
“You seem to have entirely misjudged the situation and then were abusive and violent to your wife,” she said.
“She must have been very frightened.”
However, Sheriff Hodge said she did not consider Walters’ behaviour a “prolonged course of conduct” within the whole scope of a 47-year marriage, adding that alcohol had been an “exacerbating” factor.
She made Walters, now of Burngrange Gardens, West Calder, subject to a community payback order with supervision for one year and a £710 fine.
She also ordered him to take part in a domestic abuse reduction programme during that time.
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