A man who was barred from a high street newsagent told a shop worker: “Your kids are dead”.
Douglas Jaffray had been told not to enter Audrey’s Newsagent in Alness after his behaviour made a woman working there afraid.
But he entered the store anyway and was heard muttering to himself before making the statement, which the woman took as a threat.
Jaffray, 42, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
Fiscal depute Emily Love told the court: “The accused used to regularly attend at the newsagent. He had been coming in recently and had left the person there in fear.”
As a result of his behaviour, he was told not to return to the store.
Shopworker felt threatened by muttering man
But on March 1 of this year, Jaffray went back to the shop and was heard muttering: “She is not telling me to get to f***.”
He then told the woman working there: “Your kids are dead.”
“She took this to be a threat,” Ms Hood told Sheriff Sara Matheson.
The incident was captured on CCTV and police were called.
Jaffray was later traced, cautioned and charged, but made no reply.
Cigarette errand landed man in court
Solicitor Ken Ferguson, for Jaffray, told the court that his client had not realised that he was barred from the store and had only gone there to run an errand for a family member.
“He wasn’t aware that he should not have entered the shop – his mother sent him for cigarettes,” he said.
He said his client, who is unemployed and in receipt of benefits, had a number of mental health issues.
Sheriff Sara Matheson deferred sentence on Jaffray for one year, during which time he will remain subject to bail conditions not to enter Audrey’s Newsagent and not to approach or contact the woman involved.