AN OBSESSION WITH the Army led to a man making almost 500 visits to Kinloss Barracks over a period of just ten weeks.
John Petersen, 49, ended up returning to Elgin Sheriff Court this week following background reports on what was described as “strange behaviour” in his desire to join the armed forces.
Petersen turned up 498 times at the gates of Kinloss Barracks, which is close to where he lives at Seaview Caravan Park, on 65 different occasions between April 8 and June 26 this year.
The court was told that the Military Provost Guards at the Moray base where concerned for their safety and that of the military establishment because of Petersen’s strange behaviour.
Fiscal Alison Wylie told the court that Petersen returned within minutes several times after being sent away.
On July 29 Petersen had violated a special condition that he not enter any military area in Moray or the Highlands when he returned to Kinloss Barracks and tried to enter the guardroom. The Fiscal said: “His behaviour over the ten-week period was completely bizarre.”
Peterson was arrested under warrant on September 21 before being released on bail and his sentence deferred until his appearance on Thursday. Sheriff Hall told Petersen that he was glad to hear he had stuck to his bail condition not to approach any Ministry of Defence property since his release in September.
After learning from Petersen’s agent Robert Cruickshank that his client had “some desire to have an involvement with the reserve force, not the armed force”, Sheriff Hall added: “I’m minded to test your trust for a longer period of time, it is in your interest you ensure you stay out of trouble.
“But if you decide in the next year you want to do something with the forces, you can contact Mr Cruickshank about having that bail condition removed – but for now you have to prove you can stay away.”