ASBOs are slapped on the ‘brothers from hell’

Apr 10 2008 By John Rowbotham

ASBOs have been slapped on two members of a family who were re-housed under a project to assist ‘hell neighbours’.

Now David Begg (22), and his 19-year-old brother Scott face jail if they breach the order.

The men are the sons of Linda Begg who, with her family of seven, had previously lived in Glenburn Avenue, Stonehouse.

There, they attracted complaints about bevvy sessions and fighting.

However, last September the family moved into a five-apartment house at 32 Violet Crescent, Stonehouse.

They were allocated the house through a pilot scheme designed to tackle antisocial behaviour.

However, the arrival of the Beggs’ in Violet Crescent prompted a barrage of complaints

People living in that street have told the Advertiser how the Beggs’ new home was used for drunken parties frequently ending in arguments and violence.

Avondale and Stonehouse councillor James Malloy, who was not consulted about the allocation, said: “The idea of this project seems to be that if you put a troublesome family in a good street, beside good families, they learn from the good families.”

He added, however: “All this achieved was anger among people in Stonehouse, especially after they saw new equipment and furniture going into the house.

“The two brothers were going to their mother’s house, holding drinks parties and causing bother.

“I was getting complaints from people who were having their property damaged.”

Councillor Malloy said people in the street became further incensed when new fencing erected round the Beggs’ house, damaged during one of the parties, was quickly repaired by the project team.

“Good tenants who had been waiting some time to have fences repaired or replaced were furious,” he added.

Council chiefs applied to Hamilton Sheriff Court for an ASBO against the brothers after a disturbance at the house on January 13, in which both were arrested.

Scott Begg, whose address was given as 3 Muir Street, Larkhall, was charged with breach of the peace, resisting arrest and damaging a police vehicle. His pleas of not guilty to the three charges were accepted when the case was called at Hamilton Sheriff Court on February 18.

On the same day, David Begg, whose address was given as 32 Violet Crescent, Stonehouse, admitted breach of the peace, whilst subject of two bail orders, and was jailed for 21 days.

Scott Begg faces a charge of assaulting his mother arising from an alleged incident at the house on December 8, last year.

He is said to have punched her on the head, while on bail from Glasgow Sheriff Court.

A second charge alleges that at the family home on the same day, he knocked a microwave oven to the floor, shouted, swore and committed a breach of the peace, again while on same bail.

He was due to answer the charges before Sheriff John Stewart on March 19, but was absent from court and a warrant was issued.

After considering the council’s ASBO submission, a sheriff affirmed the order in respect of the house at 32 Violet Crescent.

It prohibits the Begg brothers from playing loud music, banging doors, shouting or swearing so loudly that it can be heard outside.

Jail awaits if they shout, swear, verbally abuse, threaten, or assault anyone, and they have been told not to damage any property.

A spokesman for the council confirmed that they were currently running a Scottish Government-funded pilot project called ‘Breaking the Cycle’ which works with families to reduce antisocial behaviour.

She said the project did not create new tenancies, and was approved by the council on September 16, 2006.