A gambler lost out on an Aberdeen pub’s fruit machine jackpot after the manager realised he was barred and switched it off.
Ian Gray defied his longstanding ban from The Archibald Simpson on Union Street in a bid to win some cash from the Wetherspoons fruit machine.
The 42-year-old’s plan was working and he was all set to cash out on the £100 jackpot – until the manager clocked him and asked him to leave, switching off the machine.
Gray, who was previously jailed for a near-identical incident at the same pub in 2019, “lost the plot” and punched the fruit machine before branding the manager a “nonce”.
‘You don’t want to mess with me’
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 8.30pm on June 24 last year.
She said the manager knew Gray from “previous interactions” and advised he had been banned from the pub, known as Archie’s, for the last five years.
Ms Laird said, on being told Gray was there, the manager remotely switched the machine off and asked him to leave.
The fiscal said: “The accused became aggressive towards her and used words like ‘paedos’, ‘nonce’ and ‘f*** off’ towards her.”
Gray, who by this time was also disturbing other customers in the busy bar, warned: “You don’t want to mess with me. Wait until you see what happens.”
He then punched the machine, smashing the screen, before leaving.
Police were then contacted.
‘Success would not bear fruit – pardon the pun’
Gray, of West North Street, Aberdeen, pled guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and vandalism.
He also admitted a separate charge of assaulting a man in Union Square by punching him on the head.
Defence agent Mike Monro said: “He had been successful at the gambling machine, however, the success would not bear fruit – pardon the pun.
“He did not get the winnings, which he said was over £100, because he was seen by the manager and she turned off the machine from behind the bar.
“One minute the accused is looking at £100 coming his way and the next minute the machine is turned off.
“The accused lost the plot. He shouted and swore and took his temper out on the machine.”
Mr Monro said his client, who has a raft of previous convictions, planned to move to south-west England to work on a fruit farm in the summer months.
He added: “The more miles we can have between the accused and Aberdeen perhaps the better.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer jailed Gray for four months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
