Blantyre ASBO man is sent to prison

Jul 2 2009 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

AN elderly Blantyre man was jailed yesterday (Wednesday) for nearly four months after breaching the conditions of his ASBO twice in one week.

Hellraiser Neil Barkey (64) pleaded guilty following a disturbance outside his home in Hillview Drive, Blantyre, last Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Barkey approached his next-door neighbour, 60-year-old Ann McArdle, as she mowed the lawn and verbally abused her. He then spat at her twice, hitting her on the right arm.

Mrs McArdle, who has seven grandchildren, returned to her property and telephoned the police, who cautioned and charged Barkey with breaching the conditions of the ASBO slapped on him in September last year.

Then, in a separate incident on Tuesday, Barkey was reported to the police for again verbally abusing Mrs McArdle and making rude gestures towards her.

He then tried to climb into a delivery van parked across the road at a neighbour’s house. Police arrested Barkey and charged him again at Hamilton Police Station.

The terms of Barkey’s three-year ASBO prohibit him from “shouting and swearing, verbally abusing, threatening or assaulting any person and thereby putting them into a state of alarm and distress, and damaging any property belonging to any other person”.

Mr Barkey’s defence explained that the troublesome behaviour was down to his “overwhelming drink problem” and the apparent pressure at being a “figure of fun in the neighbourhood”. He asked that Sheriff Kenneth Hogg not to impose a custodial sentence due to Barkey’s poor physical condition.

However, Sheriff Hogg said he had no choice but to sentence the accused to 120 days in prison, due to previous criminal convictions for similar offences.