A convicted killer has been fined after he flew into a violent rage and threatened to murder an Aberdeen fairground worker who refused to let his undersized son on a ride.
Shaun Stewart, also known as Paton, became incensed when a member of staff at Codona’s in Aberdeen stopped the six-year-old from getting on a ride and told the worker he had done time for murder.
The 39-year-old dad then took his rage onto social media, making chilling threats to give the worker a “permanent smile”.
Stewart served six years of a decade-long sentence in a young offenders’ institution for culpable homicide over the death of Kemnay dad Dean Jamieson in 2006.
He also served nearly three years in prison for an opportunistic knife-point robbery of former Dons player David Dangana in 2018.
‘His day will come’
Fiscal depute Lydia Williams told the court that at around 2.30pm on August 24 last year, staff at Codona’s were operating the rides and refused a boy entry due to his height.
This prompted Stewart to shout at the staff, telling them: “You don’t know who you’re messing with, I’ll smash you.”
Stewart continued to be aggressive with staff, focusing his attention on one worker, with other staff attempting to intervene and calm him down.
“The accused then stated that he had been to prison for murder and stated that he was going to murder the complainer,” Mrs Williams said.
Following this incident, Stewart left the area but took to Facebook to vent his anger, posting that he was “raging” and going to “do the c*** right in”.
“He won’t be smiling when he’s pointing me out for giving him a permanent smile,” Stewart wrote, adding: “His day will come, I will see him out walking around Aberdeen 100%.”
In the dock, Stewart admitted one charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by uttering threats of violence, racially offensive language and threatening to damage property.
Accused behaviour described as ‘disgraceful’
Defence solicitor Alex Burn told the court that his client had gone out for the day with his family when his six-year-old son was stopped by Codona’s staff.
“Mr Stewart became incensed with the manner in which they stopped his child,” the solicitor said.
“His son is only six,” Mr Burn stated, adding: “Mr Stewart admits thereafter he behaved in the manner libelled.”
Sheriff Rhona Wark told Stewart: “Obviously this does you no credit.
“I understand you believe the member of staff manhandled your child, but your behaviour was disgraceful – and posting about it on social media is even worse.”
Sheriff Wark fined Stewart, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, a total of £790, but was given no time to pay and will serve the equivalent of 28 days in prison.
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