Police had to call for backup after sending a country bobby with a cow phobia to arrest a cattle farmer’s son in a byre, a court heard yesterday.
When constable David McTurk told David Lindsay that he had arrived to take his son into custody, he warned about his fear of cows, Stirling Sheriff Court was told.
But the 17-stone farmer simply “got red in the face” and told constable McTurk that he did not like police officers.
After a cowshed stand-off, the police officer, who already had a female colleague with him, called for further assistance.
Not until other officers arrived at the byre in Thornhill, Stirlingshire, were Lindsay and both of his sons Iain, who the officers were looking for in the first place, and Callum, finally taken into custody.
The situation was branded “ridiculous” by Sheriff Celia Sanderson.
She formally acquitted Callum Lindsay, 20, of obstructing police after the Crown accepted his plea of not guilty and she admonished David Lindsay, 53.
Gail Russell, prosecuting, said constable McTurk and constable Stephanie Martin arrived at Lindsay’s farm at 9.30 am on August 13 to find the farmer and both of his sons in the cowshed.
She said: “The shed was full of cattle – obviously large animals – and they found the accused wasn’t very receptive towards them.
“I am told the police tried to explain in calm manner that they needed Iain Lindsay to come with them, and constable McTurk told him he had a phobia of cows and didn’t like being around cattle. David Lindsay said he didn’t like the police.
“They informed Iain Lindsay that he was to be detained under section 14 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 in relation to a different matter, but his father began shouting at the police saying his son was going nowhere.”
David Lindsay, of Easter Frew Farm, pleaded guilty to resisting, obstructing, molesting and hindering police.
Nicholas Scullion, defending, said his client had been confused when police arrived to detain his son, as he had already made an arrangement with an inspector to hand himself in later that day. He added that the matter that Iain Lindsay had been detained for was later “resolved amicably”.
Sheriff Sanderson agreed with Mr Scullion’s suggestion that David Lindsay, who had no previous convictions, should be simply admonished.
She said: “This was a somewhat ridiculous situation for someone of your age to get himself into. The police were trying to do their job.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “This is a personal issue for the officer involved.”