A man who was locked out of his home threatened to stab a neighbour who refused to open the communal door for him, a court has heard.
Sebastian Percival, 19, sought his neighbour’s help after finding an external door that was usually left open had been shut, effectively locking him out of the building.
But when the man said Percival’s predicament was “not his problem” the teenager lost his temper and made the threat.
Percival appeared at Tain Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a single charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in relation to the incident, which took place on January 18 of this year.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood told the court that at just after 8pm the neighbour had been at home on Gordon Terrace, Invergordon, when he heard Percival “shouting up at him, asking him to open the door”.
Neighbour said situation was ‘not his problem’
Ms Hood detailed how the man replied that the situation was “not his problem”.
At this Percival said: “Do you want me to kick this door down and stab you, you f***ing muppet?”
He also threatened to put the man’s doors and windows in.
Defence solicitor Natalie Paterson told the court that Percival found himself locked out of his home when an outer door that was usually left open was closed.
She said: “He buzzed his neighbour to let him in, he was met by a gesture – basically his neighbour giving him the finger out of the window.”
“He lost his temper,” Ms Paterson added.
Sheriff Gary Aitken placed Percival, of Gordon Terrace, Invergordon, on a community payback order with 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.
