An Alyth couple have been fined £400 after conducting a two-hour masked pursuit of huntsmen on a Perthshire estate.
At Perth Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Colin Milne, 49 and Beverly Milne, 39, were found guilty of following the men over nearly 12 miles on Snaigow Estate.
Their daughter, Amy Linburn, 22, who was also present during the pursuit, was admonished by Sheriff William Wood.
The trio, all of Toutie Street, had faced a further charge alleging that they had donned masks in an attempt to sabotage a fox hunt, while filming members of the public.
However, these charges were thrown out by Sheriff Wood.
Mr and Mrs Milne were found to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner that caused the two huntsmen fear or alarm after using snoods as masks.
Sheriff Wood said the couple had followed the father and son over a distance of 10 to 12 miles. He said their pursuit lasted between one to two hours and saw them lie in wait on a private road and follow the men on foot.
Sheriff Wood added that the huntsmen had found the couple’s actions nerve-racking and left them fearful.
Defence solicitor Jim Beady said: “It is clear both in the reaction of the huntsmen at the time, and also how the Milnes behaved, that there was no prospect of danger to them at that time.
“They did not anticipate the sinister notion of being masked. They, for one, did not anticipate that what they were doing in any way was criminal.
“I don’t think there were substantial effects on the huntsmen involved in the case.”
Sheriff Wood stated he believed the couple became frustrated when they discovered that the events they were there to film were not going to take place.
He added: “This type of conduct shouldn’t be thought of as of a minor nature.”
Mr and Mrs Milne were found guilty of, on March 13 2015 at various roads from Snaigow Estate including Blairgowrie to Dunkeld Road A923, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person fear or alarm.
The charge stated that, with their faces masked, they repeatedly followed two huntsmen, then in their vehicles on various roads within Perthshire from Snaigow Estate, including the Blairgowrie to Dunkeld Road A923, all to their fear an alarm.
Sheriff Wood fined them £200 each.