A man climbed in the window of a pub he was barred from and then threatened to stab staff and burn the place down.
Callum Hilson had been locked out of the Tipsy Laird in Kingussie after staff realised he was barred from the premises.
But he climbed through a toilet window and reappeared in the bar “laughing hysterically” before making the threats.
Hilson, 27, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour in relation to the incident on May 22 2019.
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan said Hilson entered the bar at around quarter past midnight with another male.
The pair were carrying pints, but approached the bar and attempted to buy more drinks.
“The bartender refused them as he was just closing,” Ms MacEwan said.
Argument spotted on CCTV
At around the same time another member of bar staff checked a CCTV feed of the bar area, as they were aware this was the bartender’s first time closing the premises alone.
On viewing the CCTV they saw that there seemed to be an argument going on and went to assist, noting that Hilson was in fact barred from the premises.
Hilson left the premises and the door to the bar was locked to prevent him from reentering.
However, as Ms MacEwan explained: “The accused reappeared, having climbed through an open window in the toilets” and was “laughing hysterically about being back in the bar”.
‘I’ll burn this place down’
When staff again asked Hilson to leave, as he was barred, he told them: “I’ll smash the s*** out of you. I’ll stab you and I’ll burn this place down.”
Police were contacted and later traced and charged Hilson, who had left the bar before their arrival.
Solicitor Maureen Duffy told the court her client realised the “quite serious difficulty” his actions had placed him in and told the court he had asked her to “proffer his apologies”.
She said Hilson, who also faced sentence on separate charges of driving without a licence and failing to appear at a court hearing, was now working full-time as a chef out of the area.
Ms Duffy added: “He is fully regretful and believes that his binge drinking and substance misuse underpins a lot of this behaviour.”
In relation to the incident at the Tipsy Laird, Sheriff Gary Aitken fined Hilson £800.
Hilson, of Royal Court, Kingussie, received four penalty points for the road traffic offence and was otherwise admonished.
