A north-east man yesterday claimed he threatened a co-worker with a spanner after believing that he had cost him his job at Halfords.
Thomas Ibbotson had only been working at the retailer’s store on St Clair Street in Aberdeen for a short time when he was told his employment was being terminated.
He believed this had come about because Grant Gregor had passed information about him to bosses and on May 10 this year decided to confront him.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that at around 11.30am that day he walked over to his colleague and started shouting and swearing while asking Mr Gregor if he “had a problem”.
The store manager attempted to break up the disturbance, only for Ibbotson to brandish a spanner over Mr Gregor’s head.
Ibbotson then asked him to step outside so the two men could deal with their problem. A short time later he was escorted off the premises.
He confessed to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and brandishing a spanner during an appearance at the court yesterday.
The 26-year-old was also charged with using the spanner as an offensive weapon but his not guilty plea to that was accepted.
Depute Fiscal Anna Chisholm told the court: “Mr Gregor was afraid he would be hit with the spanner. He was only five metres away.”
Representing Ibbotson, defence agent Stuart Beveridge said: “He was told his employment was being terminated with immediate effect.
“He thought that the complainer had brought about that termination.”
He added that his client, of Walker Road in Aberdeen, had not returned to Halfords since the incident.
Sheriff Philip Mann said: “The Crown accepts the spanner was not in fact an offensive weapon. It must follow that you had no intention of using that spanner to cause harm.
“On that basis I am prepared to deal with this today and get the matter out of the way.”
He ordered Ibbotson to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
