Fife man’s celebrations at end of booze ban land him in jail

 

A Fife man celebrated the lifting of a booze ban by going to the pub, getting drunk, arrested and jailed.

Johnathan Nicol was arrested for causing a High Street disturbance just hours after leaving Dunfermline Sheriff Court with a community payback order.

Nicol (31), of Briarlea, Kelty, had been ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work for a drunken escapade which ended with him biting his brother.

He admitted that on 26th January at Briarlea he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner, taking possession of a knife and threatening to stab his brother, Graeme Nicol.

He also admitted assaulting Graeme Nicol by attempting to hit him with a vacuum cleaner and then biting him on the arm to his injury.

The sentencing brought the lifting of a bail condition imposed on 2nd March banning him from drinking alcohol.

He made the most of this by leaving court and going for a drink and later causing a disturbance.

He admitted that on 31st May at High Street, Dunfermline, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly shouting, swearing and making threats of violence.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said Nicol had phoned the police to tell them he was having difficulty walking and was staggering about in the street.

A member of the public then found him lying on the ground sleeping and tried to speak to him.

Police arrived and an ambulance was called. “Police could see he was heavily intoxicated and he started pointing in the face of one of the officers telling him ‘You’re for it’. It was clear that members of the public appeared to be upset by his behaviour,” said the depute.

After another threat to “batter” a police officer, Nicol was arrested.

Defence solicitor Elaine Buist said, “He remembers little of the incident. When he left court his intention had been to go for a pint. It can be imagined that more than a pint was consumed.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair said it appeared Nicol had been celebrating his sentence the day before.

“He wasn’t celebrating the sentence. It was the lifting of the bail condition,” said Ms Buist.

“He was celebrating something which is wholly inappropriate for him to be even thinking of,” replied the sheriff. He jailed Nicol for 100 days.

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