An Inverness chef who damaged a neighbour’s car with a sledgehammer in a drunken rage was jailed for 12 months yesterday.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Michael MacBeath, 31, believed that a “whispering campaign” was being conducted by certain individuals against him and inflicted the damage after his partner became upset by it.
Yesterday, Sheriff Margaret Neilson said she had no alternative but to imprison MacBeath because of his record of previous convictions. It was backdated to July 24 when he was taken into custody.
She added: “He was only released from a sentence in June and committed this offence in July. When he is sober, he is a worthwhile member of the community, very articulate and can hold a job.”
Defence lawyer Clare Russell said her client suffered poor mental health and “self-medicated” on alcohol.
She added: “He should have continued to ignore the individuals but he had consumed alcohol after his partner had become upset. He then only made matters worse.”
At an earlier hearing MacBeath admitted behaving in a threatening manner, brandishing a sledgehammer and repeatedly striking a vehicle in Carbisdale Gardens, Inverness, on July 23 before struggling violently with police.
The court heard a taxi driver looked out the window of his house in Inverness and saw MacBeath damaging both wing mirrors.
A struggle then ensued and the taxi driver, who said he didn’t know why MacBeath had vandalised his car, phoned the police.
When traced by police at 4.50pm – 40 minutes after the incident – Macbeath struggled violently as he was arrested.
Macbeath lashed out violently with his feet and his legs had to be restrained with straps.
He shouted threats to officers that he would kill them when he got to his feet.
Sentence had been deferred for a background report.
