A man brandished a baseball bat at his neighbour while telling him “you are dead”.
Alan MacDonald, 58, fell out with his neighbour during a drinking session at his Muir of Ord home.
After an initial scuffle, the pair were separated by onlookers and returned to their houses, only for MacDonald to emerge brandishing the weapon and shouting the threat.
MacDonald appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour in relation to the incident on November 12 last year.
His victim initially appeared beside him in the dock, but his plea of not guilty to a similar charge was accepted by the Crown.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank: “The accused was socialising with the complainer on the night in question – they had alcoholic drinks together.”
She said that at some point the pair left the property together and MacDonald was seen “shouting and screaming at the top of his voice” at the other man, who left and returned to his own home nearby.
Neighbour brandished bat
Ms Duffy-Welsh said: “Mr MacDonald was persuaded to return to his property, but he returned to the front door, brandishing a baseball bat.”
MacDonald told the other man: “You are dead.”
Police were called and the baseball bat was seized.
Solicitor Marc Dickson, for MacDonald, told the court that the pair had been neighbours for around 15 years.
He said both men had been involved in a scuffle and had been separated by bystanders.
Mr Dickson added: “He didn’t ever leave the confines of his own property.
“He regrets, and wishes to apologise for, behaving this way.”
Sheriff Cruickshank fined MacDonald, of Broomhill Road, £470 and granted a motion for the forfeiture of the baseball bat.
