A man who fell off the wagon after 20 years sober used a set of golf clubs to go on a smashing spree in Aberdeen city centre.
Drunken Kevin Leslie targeted cars, shop windows, bikes, trees and bins during his mid-afternoon rampage down Rose Street.
The 61-year-old managed to break three separate golf clubs during the violent incident, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Victoria Kerr said that at around 4pm on September 16 this year a passerby saw Leslie on Rose Street holding the golf clubs.
Leslie repeatedly struck a tree with one of them before he turned his violent rage on several hire bikes.
Taxi attempted to cautiously drive past golf club-swinging drunk
The woman watched as Leslie used the club to strike a street bin, which caused nearly £100 worth of damage.
He kept striking the club off various items in the street until it broke – at which point he threw it away, causing it to strike and smash a window.
Leslie then retrieved another golf club from behind a bin and continued hitting things.
A taxi driver with a passenger in the back turned onto the street and saw Leslie waving the golf club around and attempted to cautiously drive past.
However, when the car got close, Leslie threw a golf club directly at it, causing the offside plastic moulding to break and leaving several dents and scratches.
He then struck a metal pole with such force it broke the second club – which Leslie then threw at a window, causing it to smash.
The damage to the car was estimated at around £350 and the broken window cost £100.
Golf club number three
Another driver entered Rose Street and saw Leslie holding a third golf club, which he then threw at her car causing dents and scratches.
By this point, police had been called and they arrived at the scene and arrested Leslie.
While being led to a police van, Leslie told police officers to “get f*****”.
Leslie pleaded guilty to one charge of wilfully and recklessly damaging property.
He also admitted a second charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a set of golf clubs.
‘His behaviour was unacceptable’
Defence solicitor Jenny Logan told the court that her client had been drinking heavily that day and has a history of alcohol abuse.
“He apologises unreservedly and knows that his behaviour was unacceptable,” she said.
“Mr Leslie had been off drink for 20 years before going back on it.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan described Leslie’s actions that day as “quite a sustained incident that seems to have gone on for quite a significant period of time”.
“I have to take a serious view of this matter,” he said.
“This took place on a public street in the middle of the afternoon and must have caused significant alarm to anyone who witnessed it.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Buchanan made Leslie, of Thistle Street, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
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