Drunk man brandished crutch at shop staff

A drunken Perth man brandished his crutch at members of staff in a city centre supermarket.

And when 40-year-old Martin McGinlay was asked to leave, he began lashing out with his arms and legs.

Depute fiscal Sarah Wilkinson told the court: “He was also shouting obscenities and various threats.” The police were called and he was arrested. He appeared from custody at the last court of 2020 to admit causing uproar at the South Street branch of Tesco on December 30 by behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and making threats.

He was subject to a September 7, 2020, bail order from the Perth court at the time.

A not guilty plea was accepted to a second charge of assaulting Robert Allan by repeatedly attempting to strike him with the crutch.

The depute fiscal said staff were working at the store about 9pm when they became aware of a “drunken male” shouting.

“An employee asked if he could assist him but he shouted: ‘Who the f*** are you?’

“Further employees made their way to the aisle where there was a commotion.

“He was brandishing the crutch and shouting and swearing,” added he fiscal.

Solicitor David Holmes said McGinlay’s aunt had died on Boxing Day and he had “taken drink”.

The solicitor added: “He hadn’t been drinking for a number of weeks and was out of his senses and caused the disturbance.

“He regrets that and pled guilty straight away.” The accused, of Greyfriars Hostel, Princes Street, had been in hospital prior to that after suffering serious injury in a fall.

Sheriff William Wood deferred sentence until April 1 after noting the accused’s last conviction was in 2017.

McGinlay was released on bail, with a condition banning him from entering South Street meantime.

He was also ordered to stay out of further trouble.