A man who held a large knife as he burst in on a frightened woman who had locked herself in a bathroom claimed he only had the blade because he had been chopping vegetables.
Philip O’Hara had been arguing with a friend at her flat in Aberdeen’s Torry area on November 23, 2018, over who would leave to buy more alcohol.
When he became aggressive and made “rude comments” towards the woman, she hid in her bathroom to escape his behaviour.
O’Hara, 42, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday where he admitted forcing open a locked door while possessing a knife.
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald said: “The accused pushed open the door and was facing her.
“He had a large kitchen knife with the blade pointed at the floor.
“She began to scream and the accused walked away from the door.
“She took the opportunity to run out of the flat and lock herself in the basement area.”
O’Hara’s solicitor, Neil McRobert, said: “He had been chopping vegetables in the kitchen at the time, hence the reason he had a knife.
“There was no indication that he brandished it or had it pointed at her.”
O’Hara, of Jute Street, will be sentenced next month.
He was fined £335 for failing to appear for a previous court date.
