Charges are denied
A 41-YEAR-OLD man appeared at Perth Sheriff Court last week, accused of conducting a reign of terror in Crieff and Muthill by threatening people with violence and extorting hundreds of pounds from them.
Isaac McPhee, a prisoner in Barlinnie, denied 18 charges and his case was continued until January 22.
The trial is due to take place during a sheriff and jury sitting which opens at the court on February 2.
It is alleged that between May 1 and August 31, 2007, in Crieff and Muthill, he got into Michael Ward’s car, with the intention of menacing him, assaulted him and extorted £400.
McPhee is also accused of demanding £2,000 from Thomas McIntosh in Crieff’s Commissioner Street between November 1 and December 31, 2007.
It is alleged that he repeatedly threatened Mr McIntosh and warned that he had a recording in which he had discussed shooting McPhee with a shotgun.
McPhee also faced further charges of extorting £200 each from Michael Riddell and Brian Hutchison in Crieff between November 1 and December 31, 2007.
McPhee is also alleged to have made a menacing phone call to Andrew Donaldson at a house in Methven in a bid to extort £2,000 from him.
It is alleged that if he didn’t pay up, McPhee would slash him, stab him, set fire to his house and burn it down with him and his family inside.
It is also alleged that he threatened to ram Mr Donaldson’s car off the road and attempted to extort £2,000 from him.
That charge is alleged to have taken place between January 1, 2007, and September 5, 2008.
McPhee also faced a catalogue of other charges, including being concerned in the supply of cocaine at various houses in Crieff and dealing in diazepam at addresses in Crieff and Methven.
Thirty-eight-year-old George McPhee, also a prisoner in Barlinnie, appeared with Isaac McPhee in the dock.
The two denied threatening the occupants of a house in Ward Road, Muthill, and kicking the door, and assaulting Brian Hutchison in Crieff.
George McPhee’s case was also continued until January 22. Both were remanded in custody.
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