Terrified staff at a fast food eatery fled and hit the panic button after a drunken man terrorised them as they put the bins out.
Liam Cleary went berserk after a night on the booze and hassled staff at the Linwood branch of chicken chain KFC.
He was triggered after workers attempting to clear up after shutting told him they didn’t smoke, so couldn’t offer him a cigarette.
Staff, who were outside binning rubbish after the restaurant closed to customers, ran for it after Cleary kicked off and began reaching for his jacket pocket, shouting “Come here, I’ve got something to show you”.
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The accused landed himself in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday, following the incident on December 19 last year.
Jason Stark, prosecuting, told how three workers cleaning up in the Phoenix Retail Park branch took rubbish out to the bins, situated near the door of the restaurant, around 12.50am.
The Procurator Fiscal Depute told the court: “The accused approached and asked if he had a cigarette.
“He was observed to be under the influence of alcohol because his speech was slurred.
“The witness told him he did not smoke, to which the accused became inflamed and aggressive and began shouting ‘that’s b******t’.”
As the man began to walk away from fuming Cleary, of Leman Drive in Houston, he began to shout: “Come here, I’ve got something to show you”, as he put his hand into his jacket pocket, while “continuing to shout in the same manner.”
The terrified witnesses ran for the safety of the restaurant.
Mr Stark added: “The accused placed the witnesses in a state of fear and alarm. They ran inside the restaurant, locked the doors and activated the panic alarm. Police were called and the accused was observed to circle the building and bang on the windows.”
Panicked workers called police again and gave a description of the 20 year old.
Officers en route to the scene stopped Cleary nearby due to his “distinctive red-coloured jumper” giving away his identity.
He told the officers: “I caused a bit of havoc. I tried to get food.”
Cleary also admitted throwing his mobile phone at a wall, causing it to smash, in a room at Muthu’s Glasgow hotel during a drink-fuelled barney with his partner.
A hotel worker checking floors called in cops during the incident on October 9 last year after hearing the accused shouting.
The court heard that Cleary and his partner were attending his parents’ wedding at the venue when a row broke out between them. He was on bail at the time.
Charlie McCusker, defending said: “On both occasions, alcohol was an issue” and said his client had tried to rectify that.
Sheriff Tom McCartney deferred sentence on Cleary until August 11 for reports, telling him: “Given that there are two matters before me within a relatively short period of time involving alcohol, I’m going to adjourn.”
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