Kirkcaldy woman ‘threw’ chair at Yes voters

A DISABLED woman is to stand trial accused of hurling a chair from a balcony at Yes campaigners canvassing for votes in last year’s independence referendum.
Picture: TSPLPicture: TSPL
Picture: TSPL

Pettina Capaldi denies the charge - and her lawyers have claimed she would be “physically incapable” of carrying out the violent act.

The alleged incident occurred as Jim Sillars rallied for votes in the run up to the September 18 vote.

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He was touring Kirkcaldy in his “Margo Mobile” - named after his late wife, former independent MSP Margo MacDonald.

It is alleged that Capaldi - who uses a wheelchair - shouted and swore and threw furniture from her home in Kirkcaldy’s Lindores Drive on August 29 last year.

The incident took place two days after the new Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy was pelted with eggs in the Fife town during his 100 towns in 100 days soapbox tour.

Capaldi, 53, of Lindores Drive, Kirkcaldy, faces a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm.

Her solicitor told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court that the defence position was that she was “physically incapable” of throwing a chair on to the road, and asked that the case be continued for them to obtain a full medical report.

The case was continued without plea until March.

Campaigners previously told how the chair crashed to the ground as Mr Sillars was being heckled.

Gavin Loudon, who was out with son Kieran when the incident happened, said: “We had been to a christening earlier on and both Kieran and myself were in kilts.

“While Jim was making a public address I became aware of a woman ranting about Alex Salmond wrecking the NHS in Scotland.

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“I tried to tell her that it was the Tory cuts that were behind problems in the NHS but she was having none of it.

“She threw the chair down and she came very close to hitting my son, who was really upset.”

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