A Stirling man forced a male city supermarket employee to the ground after punching him on the head and struggling with him.
Duncan MacFarlane, of Logie Road, had also brandished a bottle and uttered threats of violence at the Co-op in Causewayhead Road.
The 34-year-old had admitted assaulting the worker by punching him on the head at the store on September 19, 2020, before seizing him and forcing him to the ground to his injury.
He further admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive behaviour at the store on the same date by repeatedly shouting, swearing, adopting an aggressive demeanour, brandishing a bottle there and uttering threats of violence.
MacFarlane’s not guilty plea to a charge of stealing booze from the store was accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff Derek Hamilton told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that he had read a report prepared for the court and viewed video footage of the matters.
MacFarlane’s agent Virgil Crawford asked Sheriff Hamilton if his client could be given the opportunity to show that he can be of good behaviour.
Sheriff Hamilton said he was willing to do that for MacFarlane “to show this was out of character”.
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He pointed out: “The report says you are drinking a lot and taking drugs. You will need to stop that if it’s going to affect your behaviour.”
If there was any repeat of the behaviour, he added, MacFarlane would likely be given a custodial sentence.
Sheriff Hamilton deferred sentence until March 1, 2023, for MacFarlane to be of good behaviour. He was ordered to appear on that date.
