Chef threatens to blow up restaurant
A “stressed out” head chef at a Stirling restaurant became so maddened by his demanding boss that he threatened to kill her and blow up the gourmet eaterie.
Scott Thomson (36) was interrupted so many times by phone calls from restaurant owner Gillian Ferguson that he could “take no more”.
Stirling Sheriff Court was told this week Ms Ferguson, joint proprietor of Brea, Baker Street, was monitoring operations at the restaurant from home, using CCTV, and ringing the kitchen with repeated instructions for other staff.
The court was told Thomson was at the end of his tether due to the volume of calls, and once the last meals had been cooked and the last covers served, began drinking.
Lindsey Brooks, prosecuting, said: “Ms Ferguson had been monitoring the premises by CCTV from her home and speaking to the accused on the phone thought he sounded drunk.
“She tried to monitor him on the CCTV but was unable to see him, so she rang the restaurant back to speak to him again.”
Mrs Brooks said Thomson was handed the phone, and told Ms Ferguson that Brea was “a s••• restaurant” and he was quitting.
As she jumped into a taxi to head for the restaurant, a manager there warned Thomson that she was on her way. The manager suggested he leave before she arrived, but he did not do so, and said he wanted to kill her.
He also picked up a CCTV camera he had been “playing with” and threw it across the floor.
When Ms Ferguson arrived, Thomson was “volatile”, and she asked two policemen who were in the street to accompany her.
Thomson told the officers the restaurant was “rubbish”.
Then, in the officers’ hearing, he said: “You’ve made a big mistake this time, Gill. This place is going to get bombed.”
Thomson, of Camelon, Falkirk was arrested and spent a night in cells before being bailed to appear on Tuesday when he pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive behaviour.
Solicitor-advocate Martin Morrow, defending, said the restaurant had been especially busy on the night of the incident, October 27 last year, and Thomson had been “under stress”.
Mr Morrow said “the reason things escalated” was that the CCTV system covered the whole restaurant apart from the kitchen.
He said during the evening Miss Ferguson had rung Mr Thomson “perhaps eight or nine times” to ask where all the other staff were, and what they were doing.
On each occasion Mr Thomson had to leave the kitchen, find out, and report back.
Mr Morrow said: “In the end, he was at the end of his tether and said he was leaving. My understanding is that the other members of staff quit the next day as well.”
He added that when he left, Thomson gave up a week’s wages to which he was lawfully entitled, and was now working as second-chef at another restaurant “furth of Stirling”.
Sheriff Richard McFarlane said he had considered getting background reports, but having heard the circumstances and taking into account the fact Thomson had spent a night in custody and lost a week’s wages, he wouldfine him £400.
Following the case, Miss Ferguson said it was “untrue” her calls had caused Thomson stress.
“The reason I phoned the restaurant was because other members of staff had told me Mr Thomson had been drinking all day, was drunk, and they were having issues with him, so I went up with the police and had him removed,” she added. “We have CCTV on the premises for the safety of staff and customers.”
Brea was winner of ‘Best Scottish Cuisine’ category at the Food Awards Scotland last year.