Man ‘terrified wife with tarantula spider’

A MAN has been accused of terrifying his wife with a tarantula - knowing she was frightened of spiders.

Tarantulas have become popular as pets. Picture: JP

Grant Ewing is alleged to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm to Louise Ewing with the eight-legged arachnid at an address in West Lothian, over a five month period in 2013.

Ewing, 26, faces a charge which alleges that between June 1, 2013, and October 30, 2013, at the address in Elizabeth Drive, Bathgate, West Lothian, he “did, knowing, that your then partner Louise Ewing suffered from arachnophobia, hold a tarantula spider close to her face”.

Ewing, now of Hopetoun Street, Bathgate, is also accused of assaulting Louise by pushing her on the body between March 1, 2011, and March 31, 2011, at an address in Princes Street, California, near Falkirk in Stirlingshire.

A third charge claims that he also, between March 1, 2011, and March 31, 2011, at the Stirlingshire address, behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm by shouting, swearing and uttering threats of violence while holding a knife.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court today, Ewing, who was represented by solicitor-advocate Neil Hay, denied all the charges.

Sheriff John Mundy set trial for June 30.

Tarantulas comprise a group of very large and often hairy arachnids belonging to the Theraphosidae family of spiders, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Most are not dangerous to humans, and some species have become popular in the exotic pet trade.