An Elgin man who hurled a metal pole through his next door neighbour’s front door was fined yesterday.
Ryan Imlach threw the bar through the glass panelling following months of “bad feeling” between the two parties, Elgin Sheriff Court heard.
The 38-year-old, of 20 Mossend Place in Elgin, became upset after “squaring up” with friends of his neighbour outside the property on May 26 this year.
The court heard that at 5pm that night, he retrieved the pole from a weight bench in the communal hall between his address and his neighbour’s – and threw it inside.
Fiscal depute Kevin Corrins said Imlach attracted his neighbours’ attention by shouting outside their property.
He added: “Without any warning, the metal pole came flying through the window pane in the door, causing the glass to shatter.”
Representing Imlach, solicitor Stephen Carty said: “There had been some bad feeling between my client and his next-door-neighbour’s partner for some time.
“On this evening matters were somewhat fraught, with the accused squaring up to parties from the property outside.
“He accepts he broke a window at the address in question.”
Imlach yesterday admitted wilfully or recklessly destroying or damaging property belonging to another, and striking a window with a metal pole and breaking it.
When police officers arrived on the scene, the accused “struggled violently” and had to be manhandled to the ground before he could be detained.
He was ordered to pay £262 in compensation for damage to the door.
Describing his behaviour as “concerning”, Sheriff John Halley fined Imlach a total of £490.
He added: “This appears to be a bizarre and unfortunate episode”.
