Kincardine man invaded home and 'strangled' occupant

Richard Watling, 37, had swallowed street Valium and was smelling of drink when he invaded the isolated dwelling near Kennet.

He rifled through boxes of breakfast cereals, looked in the bedrooms, and repeatedly insisted the home was his.

Finally, he launched a "traumatic" attack on the 54-year-old man, who lived at the cottage with his partner and her adult son.

Katie Cunningham, prosecuting, said Watling was a complete stranger to the complainer, who had been home alone with the back door unlocked.

About 8.30pm he was in the bathroom, when he heard noises, and initially thought his partner's son had returned home early.

Miss Cunningham said: "He then heard kitchen cupboards opening and closing.

"Becoming suspicious, he walked towards the kitchen and observed an unknown man standing in the middle of the living room."

This turned out to be Watling who was "clearly intoxicated, smelling of alcohol, and staggering around".

Miss Cunningham said: "He told him this was not his address, but he repeatedly replied: 'This is my address'."

Watling then "walked round the house, looking in different bedrooms".

Miss Cunningham said: "[The complainer] did not want to place his hands on him to remove him, given his height and muscular build, so he contacted police.

"During the 999 call a disturbance could be heard in the background, and he informed the call taker that a stranger was in his house.

"Asked for his full name, the accused stated it was Richard Watling, and repeatedly shouted that it was his house."

The terrified resident repeatedly told Watling to leave, as police were on their way.

Miss Cunningham continued: "He managed to usher him to the kitchen, where due to his intoxicated state he fell down the back steps.

"He told him he was not getting back in the house and it was not his house."

The case called at Falkirk Sheriff Court last week

But Watling "stood back and ran back in the kitchen, placed his hands around the complainer's throat, and applied pressure for around five seconds, saying, 'How's it feel if I choked you?'"

Miss Cunningham said: "He reminded the accused that he was on the phone to the police, and the accused let go of him.

"He told the call handler that the accused had 'tried to strangle me'."

Watling was again repeatedly asked to leave and told him he was in the wrong place. However, Watling kept replying "It's mine, it's my house" and added, "What would you do if I fucking snapped your wrist"?

The complainer was advised by the 999 handler to leave and wait outside.

Miss Cunningham added: "He told police the accused was in the kitchen and was going through the breakfast foods."

He took the call handler's advice, waiting by the main road where officers found him "in a distressed state".

Police entered the property, and Watling was arrested, "clearly under the influence of alcohol or drugs".

Nothing was taken and the occupant was not physically hurt.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, March 18, Watling, of Sandshouse, Kincardine-on-Forth, Fife, admitted assaulting the complainer by compressing his throat and restricting his breathing at his cottage across the county border at Inch of Ferryton Farm, near Kennet, Clackmannanshire.

The incident occurred on September 9, 2019.

Mike Lowrie, defending, said Watling – who suffers from fits following a road smash brain injury – had "voluntarily consumed street Valium" and could recall nothing of the incident or what he was doing at the cottage.

He said: "He is remorseful and regretful.

"This must have been an utterly traumatic and frightening experience for [the complainer]."

He said Watling lived with his partner on land owned by his mother, for whom he works.

Sheriff Richard McFarlane sentenced Watling to 250 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay the complainer £1000 compensation.

He said: "The fairly remote location of this assault in a farm cottage is some distance away from your own home. You have no recollection of how you ended up there and you'd had no previous dealings with the householder or the person whom you grabbed by the throat.

"In the early evening, you entered that property and violated the tranquility of the household.

"It's a particularly serious matter."

Leaving court with his head covered, Watling made no comment.

In 2018, Watling was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 27 months after losing control of his Toyota Rav4 Xt-r D-4d on President Kennedy Drive, Plean.

Having hit speeds of up to 80mph, he then seemingly misjudged a bend and ploughed into a two-storey home, which had to be almost entirely rebuilt at a cost of £240,000.