Blind man claimed guide dog misled him when he harassed family about inheritance

A blind man convicted of harassing his family in a furious doorstep row over £100,000 inheritance claimed he had literally been led up the garden path when he was taken there by his guide dog. Raymond Knott, 62, denied intending to go to the address and instead blamed his pooch, claiming he had been led there without realising.

He said he was completely surprised when he discovered where he was but "took the opportunity" to knock on the door. The grandfather then verbally abused daughter-in-law Rachael Knott, accusing her of swindling him out of the cash, before demanding it back. When she asked him to leave he told her to "scream away" before continuously holding down the doorbell for around a minute, a court heard.



Courtney Daley, prosecuting, said: "When she [Rachael] opened the door she found Knott standing there and they had a verbal argument where he said he wanted his money back. She asked him to leave but he stepped forward and said he was going to start on her parents and put them all over the papers." She added Knott had had a T-shirt printed with the slogan: Would you or would you not steal £102,000?" on the front.

Knott, of Castle Cary, Somerset pleaded guilty to pursuing a course of conduct amounting to the harassment of Rachael Knott. He was handed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his son and daughter-in-law directly or indirectly and from going to their address. South Somerset Magistrates Court heard Knott's father had died earlier this year, and left him £102,000 in his will. To stop him from losing his benefits, Knott, who is registered blind, handed it to his grandchildren, the court was told. But in April he was reported to police by his son after he began harassing him, and his wife, in relation to the money.