Takeaway man delivers a scare to female customer

Barry Hutchison (32) claimed he misread the signs from the 27-year-old woman when he initially asked her for her phone number and three visits later ended up trying her door handle and then shouting through her letterbox to be let in.

Hutchison, 29 Beauly Court, Hallglen, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having previously pled guilty to causing the woman fear and alarm in Dovecot Road, Westquarter, between March 5 and March 18.

Procurator fiscal depute Laura Knox said: “The witness was home alone when the accused knocked on her door at 7.30pm. He asked her ‘Do you remember me?’. She said no and the accused told her he had delivered a Chinese takeaway to her address two months before.

“He said he didn’t want to turn up too soon in case she thought he was stalking her. She became rather uneasy and found him creepy. The accused then asked to exchange phone numbers.”

Later that month Hutchison was back and the woman began crying she was so frightened.

A few days later Hutchison returned yet again, but this time she had a male friend with her.

“There was banging on the door and the handle was being turned,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “He shouted through the letterbox ‘It’s me, Barry’.”

He eventually left when the complainer’s friend opened the door.

Lynne Swan, defence solicitor, said: “Once the police were involved he realised he had made a mistake.”

Sheriff Derek Livingston deferred sentence on Hutchison for six months to see if he could be of good behaviour in that time.

He said: “It seems to be more about misreading the signs rather than serious high-end staking.”