Man who attacked father in Conon Bridge back in dock as case drags on
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A SHERIFF has again deferred the sentencing of a man who attacked his father at his home in Conon Bridge because he believed he had something to do with the disappearance of his mother.
Inverness Sheriff Court has heard how Christopher Thomson assaulted Gerard Salvadori over two years ago by punching him repeatedly on the head and striking him on the head with the handle of a knife.
His mother, Heather Thomson, went missing in 1994 and no trace of her was ever found.
And Sheriff Margaret Neilson was told by depute fiscal Roderick Urquhart that Thomson blames his father for her disappearance or at least knowing something about what happened.
Sentence has previously been deferred and when Thomson, who admitted the assault, appeared again for sentencing on Tuesday, sheriff Margaret Neilson said the latest report from social workers stated custody was an appropriate disposal of the case.
But the author of the report also recommended a psychiatric assessment before sentencing.
Sheriff Neilson said she needed to know why a psychiatric assessment was needed and she also needed an update on existing community payback orders which Thomson was subject to.
“I know this has been dragging on for some time,” she told Thomson’s solicitor Shahid Latif.
But she said she needed answers to these questions before she could pass sentence.
The court has heard how Thomson, now 22, took a bus to Conon Bridge from his home in Castle Heather Avenue, Inverness, to see his father in February 2013.
On the journey he phoned his partner. He was crying and told her he had been drinking and was angry and upset about his mother’s disappearance.
Mr Salvadori was sitting in his home in Mackenzie Gardens at 10.30am when there was a knock at the door and he let Thomson in.
“He started talking about his mother’s disappearance,” said Mr Urquhart. “His father responded by asking ‘What?’. He punched his father twice on the face before going to the kitchen and coming out holding a knife. He walked past his father and struck him a couple of times on the head with the bottom of the handle of the knife then he put the knife down.”
While Thomson was still at the house his partner called him on the phone.
The fiscal said she could hear Mr Salvadori shouting, crying and screaming and she could make out Thomson saying that Mr Salvadori had killed his mother.
On Tuesday, Mr Latif said from the criminal justice social work report he had to concede due to Thomson’s “lack of empathy” custody was appropriate.
“But the problem I see is this will not address the issue which he has been living with from a very early age. He has been living under the spectre of the disappearance of his mother at a very young age.”
Mr Latif said the author of the report also seemed to flirt with the idea of a drug treatment testing order which in his opinion contradicted the conclusion that custody was appropriate.
“It’s clear when he was growing up he was subjected to a whispering campaign by members of his family about the disappearance of his mother.
“He was going to chase a rainbow he was never going to reach.”
Mr Latif said a doctor’s report highlighted some kind of clinical therapy could be helpful and he said Thomson had now broken all contact with his father.
“I think the court should consider rehabilitation rather than imprisonment.
“This is an individual who has experienced a chaotic upbringing and it can clearly be linked to the disappearance of his mother and it appears no-one has tried to address this issue.
“Had it been his motivation to inflict serious injury on his father he would have used something other than the handle of the knife.”
Sheriff Neilson deferred sentence for a full updated criminal justice report until November 19.
