Peter Ferguson, a first-time local resident, has become the talk of the town in a 10-home cul-de-sac for more than a year. His criminal history has been ongoing since the 1990s. He has a long-standing pattern of violent, abusive, and antisocial behavior leading to hundreds of convictions. Yet he still resides in his municipal property, which greatly offends his neighbors. South Lanarkshire Council, Ferguson’s landlord, is currently in court trying to evict him. Yet the complex and confusing ongoing proceedings have still told residents that they don’t feel safe.
Ferguson, who won the right to live on the cul-de-sac four years ago, has racked up ten convictions for aggressive or obnoxious conduct. His perceived criminal background consists of crimes committed such as violent assault, robbery with a dangerous weapon, housebreaking and entering, and firearm violations. As a result, he was given an Asbo (anti-social behaviour order) and non-harassment order. Since then, he has received seven convictions for disorderly conduct by violating his Asbo. He has been found guilty in three separate convictions for threatening and abusive conduct.
Despite South Lanarkshire Council’s legal moves, Ferguson remains in his home. He is presently awaiting a court hearing for the eviction proceedings. His neighbors, Chris and Amy Masterson, are scared to their core. In addition, Ferguson has been terrorizing them since 2024, raising their stress level even more. Through video, the couple describes their experience as a waking nightmare. They have to operate in a culture of fear, always anticipating when Ferguson will strike again.
“They just tell you when the next hearing is, and that’s pretty much it,” Amy Masterson piped. She made it clear that the biggest complaint she has with officials is their failure to communicate, especially about their safety.
The Mastersons have filed suit to protect themselves from Ferguson. They’ve fortified their figurative front door with homemade countermeasures. “The front door would have ladders, a suitcase, a washing pole thing, and the letterbox taped up, just in case anybody could put something through it,” Amy explained. Chris supplemented that even they have gone so far as to use a walking stick as a buffer for more safety.
“Even our family doesn’t want to come and see us now because they get abused, and we don’t want them to come because we’re embarrassed,” Chris Masterson said. In many ways, this statement highlights how Ferguson’s actions ruined her social life and mental health.
The psychological impact on the Mastersons is equally tangible. “It’s just like a ticking time bomb. We don’t know when he’s going to kick off next,” Chris stated, highlighting the constant state of alert they find themselves in. He further mentioned sleepless nights spent planning escape routes in case of an emergency: “I was awake for nights after that, thinking of an escape plan.”
Those concerns across the community led to neighbors organizing to express their opposition to Ferguson’s actions. As one resident put it, “Everything has two sides. This reality underscores the messy nuances of Ferguson’s situation. The overall mood is still one of fear and distrust.
Ferguson’s mobility issues have complicated matters further. Although he has been ordered multiple times by courts and received other legal sanctions for his behavior, those consequences have not stopped him from escalating his abuse. His continued presence increases the crisis of fear experienced by residents who live within such proximity.
Amy Masterson, the organization’s executive director, pointed to a profound lack of support by federal and state authorities amid this difficult period. “There’s no support for us trying to do the right thing for our safety and wellbeing and our family’s,” she said, underscoring the helplessness they feel despite attempts to seek justice.
While the legal process at South Lanarkshire Council’s favor seems to unfold, the Council still seeks to continue with an eviction against Ferguson. The entire community is monitoring the situation, waiting for a positive outcome to bring reprieve back to their treasured neighborhood.
