House arrest for Slamannan hammer man

Andrew Trotter (33) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening manner at an address in Avonbridge, on September 7 last year.

He also admitted threatening behaviour in possession of a hammer at an address in Balcastle Road, Slamannan on June 24.

At a court appearance earlier in the year procurator fiscal depute James Moncrieff said: “The complainer, who was 15 at the time, was in his house at 6.40pm. The front door was knocked and he answered it.

"The accused was standing there.”

The court head Trotter said he was was there due to online reports regarding three males with knives going around the village.

"The complainer said he had no idea what he was talking about,” said Mr Moncrieff. “He saw the accused was in possession of something resembling a hammer. He tried to shut the door, but the accused initially punched the door and thereafter pushed it, causing it to brush against the complainer’s face.

"The door was then closed and the complainer went to the upstairs window and spoke down to the accused – he said he had PTSD and was looking for these three males who the complainer knew nothing about.

"The complainer was described as being scared by this encounter.”

When Trotter was arrested later that evening, he told officers “It was a brick hammer – I’m a workie”.

Back then Derek Livingston placed Trotter, 60 Balquhatstone Crescent, Slamannan, on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he complete 270 hours unpaid work for 12 months and attend psychological and addiction services.

At last Thursday’s court defence solicitor Stephen Biggam said Trotter had taken his subsequent incarceration – for non-compliance with the court orders – in the “right way” and had taken “the lesson to heart”.

He added: “He ended up in jail by nobody’s fault but his own.”

Sheriff Livingston said: “If I thought it was a holiday camp I wouldn’t have sent him there.”

He placed Trotter on a restriction of liberty order to remain in his home between 7pm and 7am for the next six months.