A man was caught with nearly £1,000 of cannabis after being thrown out of an Aberdeen pub when customers mistook him for a Rangers supporter.
Edmund Eccles and a friend were watching a football match on TV at the Butchers Arms on George Street when their Clackmannanshire accents drew the ire of Dons fans.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told tensions rose to the extent that all parties were thrown out of the bar and there were further issues between the “combatants” in the street outside.
And when police turned up to deal with the trouble, they found Eccles, 35, had a bag containing almost £1,000 of cannabis.
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross said the weight of the drugs recovered was 64.4g and that they had a potential value of up to £950.
Eccles, of Printfield Terrace, Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Defence agent Peter Keene said his client had an “extensive record” but had not been in trouble since the incident, which happened on August 3 2019, and had now set up a landscaping business.
Mr Keene said: “On this occasion, he was going to a party with a friend.
“They walked into the Butchers Arms, a local pub on George Street famous for showing football matches.”
Mr Keene said Aberdeen and Rangers are “old rivals” and there was “a bit of animosity” due to their accents suggesting they might be supporters of the Glasgow team.
He continued: “They were removed from the public house along with a number of combatants.”
Police were then called to deal with the situation and discovered the stash of the class B drug in Eccles’ bag.
Mr Keene said his client’s position had been that the cannabis was for personal use but, given the amount, it “may well” have been shared out amongst friends.
He added that Eccles had also now given up cannabis and alcohol.
The lawyer explained that Eccles had first started using cannabis in an attempt to self-medicate to deal with pain caused by an injury.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston ordered Eccles to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
She added: “I hope you remain of good behaviour from now on.”
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
