Brave McDonald’s staff struggled with knife-carrying thug
Workers at a McDonald’s restaurant were threatened by a drunken thug who went into their kitchen area.
As terrified staff at the Glenrothes branch wrestled Reese Fairgrieve to the floor in the early hours of the morning, a lock-knife fell out of his pocket.
As Fairgrieve struggled violently, the brave workers held him down until police arrived.
The incident at the 24-hour restaurant occurred not long after Fairgrieve had been released early from a jail sentence and he is now back behind bars.
Fairgrieve (22), of Fordell Road, Glenrothes, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He admitted that on 25th August at McDonald’s restaurant, Flemington Road, Glenrothes, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly throwing food on the floor, shouted and swore, repeatedly made threats of violence, challenged others to fight and struggled violently.
He also admitted being unlawfully in possession of a knife at McDonald’s.
He further admitted breaching home curfew bail conditions.
Depute fiscal Claire Bremner said that at around 1.45am an intoxicated Fairgrieve entered the premises, ordered food and sat down to eat it.
He then began throwing the food on the floor and when a member of staff asked him to stop, Fairgrieve became aggressive.
He told the worker, “I’ll throw you about” and then threatened another staff member saying, “I’ll batter you” before throwing a drink at him.
Fairgrieve went into the kitchen area and became involved in a struggle with staff during which he fell to the floor and was restrained there as the police were called.
During the struggle, a lock-knife fell out of Fairgrieve’s pocket and it was pushed out of his reach by a worker.
Police arrived at the restaurant at 2.15am and Fairgrieve was arrested.
The court was told Fairgrieve was recently put on a community payback order with 300 hours of unpaid work at Inverness Sheriff Court for an offence which involved the unlawful possession of a knife and knuckle-duster.
Defence solicitor James McMackin conceded, “He has a bad record.”
He said the knife was in Fairgrieve’s pocket because he had been working earlier that day at a scrap yard.
Sheriff Charles MacNair was unimpressed by the excuse, pointing out that Fairgrieve was also caught with a knife and knuckle-duster in Inverness. “It could be seen as a pattern of behaviour. He doesn’t go out without taking a knife,” he commented.
Sheriff MacNair sent Fairgrieve back to jail to serve 180 days left from his previous jail term and another 208 days for his latest offences.
