Pensioner Vows to Return to Lay-By Life
An eccentric pensioner who was evicted from the lay-by where he was sleeping in his car yesterday vowed to return to live at the side of the A9.
An eccentric pensioner who was evicted from the lay-by where he was sleeping in his car yesterday vowed to return to live at the side of the A9.
Charles Ingram declared that he would "sleep on the grass" at the side of the busy trunk road after Scottish Ministers formally evicted him from his camp on Wednesday.
Mr Ingram - who has been living in lay-by 52 for three years - was fined £1,000 at Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday after he admitted attacking a court-appointed official during the removal.
He said: "I am going back to the lay-by and I will sleep on the grass. That is where I am going to go. This thing isn't over. I don't want to live in Perth.
"I got landed with a big fine at the court and I need to sort that out. They took hold of my arm so I just swung my arm round to get them off."
Mr Ingram, formerly a successful businessman and international clay pigeon shooter, said he wanted to reassure regular users of the A9 that he was well and would be returning to his roadside base near Blair Atholl.
He said: "I am going to see if I can get my motorbike back from the police as it is taxed and insured. If I can't then I am prepared to walk back to Blair Atholl.
"People have been brilliant with me and I want to let everyone know I'm fine. People stop all the time and give me gifts and so on. Even the Calor Gas rep gave me free cylinders for my stove."
Mr Ingram denied posing a danger to road users and said he was well-prepared to return to sleeping rough - even without his car - as he was hardened to the Scottish climate.
After talks with Perth and Kinross Council he spent Thursday night in Greyfriars homeless unit in Perth, but claimed it gave him a sore back and he would not be going back.
On Thursday, the 69-year-old had admitted attacking and injuring Messenger-At-Arms Roderick Stevenson, 44, by hitting him in the face with a china mug.
Mr Stevenson was part of a team appointed at the Court of Session to remove Ingram's car and tented village from the side of the trunk road for safety reasons.
Long-haired and bearded Ingram claimed he lashed out because he felt "intimidated" when the officers tried to lead him from his "home."
He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay Mr Stevenson £100 compensation after he admitted striking him with a mug in lay-by 52 on the A9 Inverness to Perth road at Blair Atholl.
Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court: "The accused has been residing in lay-byes since March 2012. There have been a number of concerns raised by passers-by and the local community.
"There are also concerns for the safety of road users as the accused sometimes displays large home-made signs which are distracting.
"Authority was granted to remove the accused from the locus, along with his property. The A9 was closed in both directions for safety reasons."
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: "He tells me that when these two gentlemen took hold of him he got a shock. He felt a bit overwhelmed."
Mr Ingram has become a familiar sight for road users after setting up camp in his Mercedes C220 car in the wake of a neighbour and business dispute in 2012.
The site on the A9 regularly attracted passers-by who pull in to donate charitable items and money to Mr Ingram. The court was told he had £600 savings and got a £152 per week pension.
Mr Ingram slept in his car, which is filled with his possessions and his late mother's belongings, and has copies of Shooting Times and Classic Car magazine piled up on the dashboard.
He was formerly a member of the Kippen Gun Club in Stirlingshire, but claimed complaints from former neighbours led to him having his guns confiscated. He was once fined £500 for driving through the set of TV soap Strathblair.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "Decisions like this are never taken lightly but reflect our responsibility for the safe operation of the trunk road network and our concern for Mr Ingram's personal welfare.
"The extent of the encampment on the A9 has grown in recent months and it is now a safety hazard and distraction for drivers and, as such, we have no choice but to take this action."
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesman said: "We cannot comment on individual circumstances. If someone is homeless we will offer and advice and support and it is up to the individual concerned whether they accept that advice."