Curfew for postman over graffiti case

Published on Thursday 3 January 2008 22:27

A POSTMAN has been placed under curfew after being charged in connection with a series of "graffiti-bombing" incidents at a railway station.

Douglas Forsyth has been banned from leaving his home after 7pm after being accused of carrying out the late-night vandalism.

A sheriff granted Forsyth bail after he appeared in court yesterday, but told him that he would have to obey the curfew as a condition of being freed.

After being told that Forsyth was a postal worker, Sheriff Robert McCreadie allowed the curfew to end at 5am so he could continue working.

Forsyth, 19, from Perth, denied a series of charges related to vandalism in the town over a period of four months.

He denied that he maliciously spray-painted train carriages belonging to First ScotRail at Perth railway station on three occasions in September, October and December. The fourth charge alleges that Forsyth spray-painted a wall in the town on Hogmanay.

Fiscal depute Vicki Bell asked for the curfew condition, and told the court that there was a 75 per cent chance that a graffiti artist would return and commit more crime.

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client was a postal worker who would not be able to carry out his job if he could not leave his home early in the morning.

He also told the court that a curfew would restrict his client's social life because he was a musician in a band with evening engagements.

However, Sheriff McCreadie said: "It seems to me that this is a course of conduct over a number of months and a curfew would be appropriate."

Forsyth, who will spend the evening of his 20th birthday on 15 January under curfew, will come to trial next month.