Nwicker60
28-Oct-11, 09:27
Couple were 'scared' and 'petrified', sheriff court was told
A WICK couple received a shock letter in the post containing the chilling threat-I’m going to kill you and your family.”
Husband James Ross (27) told the town’s sheriff court, yesterday: “I was scared by the thought that we were going to be done away with.”
It was his wife, Donna who opened the letter after it came through the letter box of their home in Gunns Terrace, Wick.
She said: “I was petrified and phoned the police.”
The couple didn’t know who had sent the letter and no indication was given in court as to why it had been sent.
In the dock was David Macgregor(33) of Elzy Road, Staxigoe, who denied sending the death-threat letter, on January 14.
The court was heard that certain forensic evidence had been agreed by the prosecution and defence.
It revealed that Macgregor’s finger prints were found on the letter and there were similarities in the address on the envelope which were compared with writing samples taken from the accused’s home.
Senior fiscal depute, David Barclay, said that given the limited amount of comparable material it had not been possible to determine whether or not the accused was responsible for addressing the envelope.
Solicitor Ross Gray led no evidence and and spoke to his submission that there was no case to answer.
Sheriff Andrew Berry who retired to consider the issue said it was agreed that the crime was in the sending of the letter. He said the question was whether there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Macgregor was the sender.
There was no doubt that the accused’s finger prints had been found on the letter although the forensic evidence in relation to the envelope was not nearly so strong.
However, the sheriff said that the evidence did indicate to him when the prints were made. He upheld the ‘no case’ submission and found Macgregor not guilty.
A WICK couple received a shock letter in the post containing the chilling threat-I’m going to kill you and your family.”
Husband James Ross (27) told the town’s sheriff court, yesterday: “I was scared by the thought that we were going to be done away with.”
It was his wife, Donna who opened the letter after it came through the letter box of their home in Gunns Terrace, Wick.
She said: “I was petrified and phoned the police.”
The couple didn’t know who had sent the letter and no indication was given in court as to why it had been sent.
In the dock was David Macgregor(33) of Elzy Road, Staxigoe, who denied sending the death-threat letter, on January 14.
The court was heard that certain forensic evidence had been agreed by the prosecution and defence.
It revealed that Macgregor’s finger prints were found on the letter and there were similarities in the address on the envelope which were compared with writing samples taken from the accused’s home.
Senior fiscal depute, David Barclay, said that given the limited amount of comparable material it had not been possible to determine whether or not the accused was responsible for addressing the envelope.
Solicitor Ross Gray led no evidence and and spoke to his submission that there was no case to answer.
Sheriff Andrew Berry who retired to consider the issue said it was agreed that the crime was in the sending of the letter. He said the question was whether there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Macgregor was the sender.
There was no doubt that the accused’s finger prints had been found on the letter although the forensic evidence in relation to the envelope was not nearly so strong.
However, the sheriff said that the evidence did indicate to him when the prints were made. He upheld the ‘no case’ submission and found Macgregor not guilty.