Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘I’ll burn pub down’
Drunk told woman he’d shove glass in her face
A MAN has admitted to threatening to “burn down” a Dundee pub during a drunken tirade.
John Cummings, of Adamson Court, Lochee, also said he would smash a glass in the face of a woman at The Market in Seagate on December 4.
The 34-year-old pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by shouting, swearing and uttering threats of violence towards bar manager Rebecca Lamb.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Cummings entered the pub at around 8.40pm and demanded access to the CCTV system.
Depute fiscal Trina Sinclair told the court: “The accused then became abusive and shouted: ‘I’ll burn your pub down.
“‘I’ll be waiting for you when you finish work. You’ll be lucky if I don’t burn your pub down.’
“The accused was asked to move away and responded by saying: ‘I’ll put this pint glass in your face’. He then smashed the glass on to the ground.”
Police were called and Cummings was cautioned and charged.
Defence solicitor David Duncan said his client had difficulties with alcohol.
He told Sheriff Alastair Carmichael: “He has a long-standing alcohol difficulty and trouble follows when he falls back into it.
“He makes comments that he doesn’t intend to follow through on.
“He is presently abstinent from alcohol but it’s whether he can sustain that over a period of time.
“He has to understand that any further offending of this type would lead to a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Carmichael described Cummings’ behaviour as “unacceptable”.
He added: “You may not have intended to carry out your threats but the member of staff didn’t know that.”
Cummings was placed on a restriction of liberty order keeping him indoors between 7pm and 7am for six months.
He was also ordered not to enter The Market for two years.