A FORMER Olympic shooting coach who threatened to gun down his former home help because he wanted his dog back was today fined £410.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard David Linwood, 61, had been upset after the death of his wife and that home visitor Hayley Irvine, had looked after his partner before she died and also the couple's dog.
The court heard when Linwood's wife died the p
et was taken away.
At an earlier hearing fiscal depute Melanie Ward told the court Linwood had taken the death of his wife badly and had been drinking when he phoned Ms Irvine demanding the return of his dog.
Ms Ward said: "Linwood carried on with his shouting and stated, 'You do not want to mess with me, I've got guns and I'll come down and shoot you.'."
The fiscal depute told the court Ms Irvine was left "extremely alarmed" as she knew Linwood had guns at his house in Newtongrange, Midlothian.
The court heard that the guns were antique but Ms Irvine did not know this.
Police were called to Linwood's address and a firearms incident was set-up.
Ms Ward added firearms were found at Linwood's home but that they were decommissioned.
Linwood, now of Dundee Road, Forfar, admitted behaving in a disorderly manner, phoning Ms Irvine, a former home help at his house, threatening her and breaching the peace.
The offence happened on 6 January last year at The Square, Newtongrange.
Defence agent John McGeechan said: "He was a British Olympic team coach in terms of shooting.
"He has shown me a bronze medal from the Moscow Olympics which his wife was the winner of.
"Unfortunately the son from that relationship was only aged 15 when he shot himself, which took a terrible toll on that marriage."
The couple were later divorced and Linwood remarried and it was his second wife who was being looked after by Ms Irvine.
The agent added that when Mrs Linwood died Ms Irvine understood that she was to keep the dog.
Mr McGeechan said: "He asked for the dog back and this was refused.
"It was at this point that he blew up and threatened to shoot her.
"It was an empty threat because he was physically not able to get there."
The agent added Linwood had been suffering at the time and was drinking but accepted his behaviour would have frightened Ms Irvine and regretted making the threats.
Sheriff Neil MacKinnon told Linwood it was a "serious offence" and ordered him to pay the fine at a rate of £80 per month.
