AN ARIVEGAIG man was found not guilty of causing fear or alarm to a neighbouring couple in a dispute over access and parking rights after a prosecution witness failed to provide sufficient evidence at Fort William Sheriff Court on Thursday July 20.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald had already sat through the long cross-examination of one witness, Sean Reid, of Macneil’s Croft, Arivegaig, Acharacle, which included viewing video footage from CCTV security cameras, as part of the trial of Anthony Brian Smith, 55, of Fulnafern Croft, Arivegaig.
Smith had pleaded not guilty to charges that, on various occasions during February last year, he engaged in conduct which caused fear or alarm to Mr Reid, 53, and his partner, Mairi McLean, 42, by driving a vehicle up to Mr Reid’s croft and staring at him and Ms McLean; parking his car outside Mr Reid’s croft; persistently loitering in the vicinity of Mr Reid’s croft and intentionally directing two of his goats towards the vicinity of Mr Reid’s property.