‘Lost control’ after job loss

Heart stopped twice at hospital

A man went into a downward spiral which almost killed him, Stirling Sheriff Court heard this week.

Aaron Charles Brignano pleaded guilty to charges of threatening abusive behaviour on January 7 and 9, and resisting arrest on the earlier date.

The court heard last Wednesday that the 30-year-old, of Cawder Road in Bridge of Allan, had lost his job on Christmas Eve of last year, and began drinking heavily and using valium.

At 4pm on Saturday, January 7, Edward and Tina Berry were in Stirling city centre shopping when they spotted a group of males outside the Red Cross shop in Murray Place.

Fiscal depute Laura Knox said Brignano had made a ‘bee-line’ for the woman. “He stopped in front of her and started to shout,” she said.

“He said ‘I am going to f ***** g kill your laddie. I don’t care how old he is, he is f ***** g dead.”

The woman was visibly shaken, but didn’t reply, and later contacted police. At 9.20pm that evening, Brignano was at Springkerse House, where he was seen by two security guards having an argument with a woman he was seeing at the time.

Ms Knox said: “He was claiming the woman had taken items of his, a phone and jacket. He was agitated and shouting.”

The guards managed to separate the pair, and Brignano went outside. He was traced in the car park by police officers and became aggressive and tried to break free by thrashing, shouting and screaming.

On January 9, Brignano attended at an address in Cruachan Avenue with a girl he knew, and was aggressive to her step- father for an hour-long period where he swore, and accused him of giving the woman drugs.

Defending, Stephen Maguire said that Brignano had lost his job on Christmas Eve, and had turned to drink, valium and other substances.

“By his own admission he was out of control,” Mr Maguire said. “In this period he had to have medical intervention, and he was told that he had died at the hospital, his heart stopped twice.

“He was told he should rest and recuperate, but he went back to this chaotic lifestyle which led to him losing his liberty for a month (while on remand).”

Brignano was sentenced to an 18-month community payback order with supervision by Sheriff Wyllie Robertson, and 180 hours of unpaid work.