Perth pair blasted by sheriff for ‘cackling’ in dock as false rape claim outlined

A pair of Perth women were reprimanded by a sheriff for “cackling” in the dock while details of their bid to intimidate a man, including with a false rape allegation, were revealed.

Denise Mulvilhill, 23, and Sarah Stewart, 27, both appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The women made phone calls to a man and a woman from Dundee, ordering the male to amend a statement he had given in relation to other court proceedings.

Between them, they threatened the male’s children and the woman’s unborn child and said they would subject the man to false sexual assault allegations.

Proceedings were stopped for the sheriff to blast the pair, who giggled between themselves in the dock.

Phone fear

Fiscal depute Calum Gordon told the court the complainers were in their home address at 9.30pm on March 18 2022 when the male received a phone call and placed it on loudspeaker.

He said: “Both accused were heard on the call. Their voices were recognised.”

Stewart asked if he had been to see his solicitor to change a statement he had made in relation to an upcoming trial.

When he said he had not, Stewart said something similar to: “Remember… when I was sleeping, people are going to say you touched me, you raped me.”

Shortly afterwards, a second phone call was made, in which Mulvihill stated: “I’m going to go and kill all your kids.”

In a third call, Mulvihill stated in reference to the woman, who was pregnant: “I’ll kick your baby out of you.”

Both women admitted making the phone calls on March 18 2022 to a property in Dundee.

Mulvihill admitted making threats and Stewart admitted threatening to make false allegations of sexual assault.

No details of the trial to which they were referring were revealed during Monday’s proceedings.

‘Cackling’ co-accuseds

Midway through Mr Gordon’s narration, Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown paused proceedings to scold the smirking offenders.

The sheriff said: “You may want to take this seriously.

“It’s not a great look to sit there cackling with your co-accused.”

The sheriff deferred sentencing until December 3 for background reports and continued both women’s bail.

She told the pair: “I would take this seriously.

“This is at solemn level so a custodial sentence is a possibility.”

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