Buckie man gets unpaid work for homophobic outburst

A BUCKIE man was sentenced last week for verbally abusing and threatening a 16-year old boy.

Daniel Sutherland (25) of Anderson Drive, Buckie was sentenced to unpaid work on Thursday, October 20, for calling a 16-year-old a "gay boy", a "f*****" and a "spastic" in 2019.

Depute fiscal Victoria Silver said: "At around 8pm on October 26, 2019, at his friend's address at St Andrews Court, Buckie, the accused started calling the witness a f***** and threatened to kill him.

"The accused then began to pursue the witness and call him a gay boy and a spastic."

Sutherland pleaded guilty to the offence, for which sentencing was delayed due to Covid 19.

Matthew O'Neill, defending Sutherland, said: "Clearly the matter is very serious and Mr Sutherland realises, in the cold light of day, that it is hugely serious.

"At the time, Mr Sutherland was consuming far too much alcohol and some substances.

"He accepts though that he must have spoken in this manner.

"In the time that has passed, things have stilled down for Mr Sutherland, who was previously a regular visitor to this court.

"There now doesn't appear to be anything else on the back burner."

Sheriff David Sutherland sentenced the 25-year-old to a year of supervision, ordered him to attend the Arrows drug addiction service, and gave him 80 hours of unpaid work.

This was reduced from 120 hours due to his guilty plea.