Fathers' rights campaigner faces jail for threatening woman reporter, elected official (Scotland)

It's not a big stretch to imagine that dad BRIAN MCKERROW treated his wife and kids in the same threatening, violent way. But the fathers rights movement encourages these guys to believe they are entitled to order any women around and bully them. They are so astonished when women fight back.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/468752/Father-s-rights-activist-threatened-MSP-and-Panorama-reporter

Father’s rights activist threatened MSP and Panorama reporter

A CAMPAIGNER for fathers’ rights faces jail after threatening a television reporter and telling an MSP he would take up arms against her.

By: David Scott Published: Sat, April 5, 2014

Brian McKerrow, 42, wanted SNP politician Christina McKelvie to help him gain access to his children and repeatedly telephoned Panorama reporter Samantha Poling with pleas for her to highlight his case.

McKerrow, of Larkhall, Lanarkshire, who had defended himself at a trial in Hamilton Sheriff Court since November, first met Ms McKelvie while she was out campaigning in Hamilton during the 2011 Holyrood elections.

McKerrow, a plumber, wanted her assistance in getting access to his children but launched into rants against Ms McKelvie and her office staff after he was told she could not help.

At one point he told me that he knew people in the military who would sort us out
Christina McKelvie, SNP politician

She told the court that she was so concerned for her safety she even bought herself a dog. She said: “I have never been as unnerved as I have been with Mr McKerrow.

“At one point he told me that he knew people in the military who would sort us out, he then demanded a meeting with me which he said would be historic, which put me in a state of fear and alarm. He said he would take up arms against me.

“This has made me much more wary I’m now nervous when I’m in a dark car park or street in case something happens. I even bought myself a dog.”

McKerrow also contacted Ms Poling, who had initially shown an interest in making a programme about his campaign for fathers’ rights.

However, following a meeting with him, Ms Poling withdrew from the project.

But, after enduring nearly a year of calls and contact from McKerrow, she reported him to BBC security chiefs in May 2012. She told the trial that she was terrified after McKerrow told her during one phone call that she was going to be “extinguished”.

Ms Poling, who regularly goes undercover with hardened criminals during her investigations, added that she had never been more frightened than she was when dealing with him.

She told the court: “I felt unnerved by what he was saying. I felt scared and I hadn’t felt that way before. Because of the work I do I have dealt with criminals and people who have made horrible threats to me.

“It got to the point where I was scared to answer my phone. It was invading my working day and private life. Even in the evening and at the weekends I was getting calls.”

McKerrow had denied all the charges against him and lodged a list of witnesses, including the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and MSP Roseanna Cunningham.

However, this was objected to by the prosecutors and McKerrow had to rely on his own evidence in his defence.

He was found guilty by Sheriff Vincent Smith and sentence has been deferred for reports.