A mum who appeared at a McDonald’s drive-thru window without a car assaulted staff when they refused to sell her a Happy Meal.
“Frustrated” mother-of-one Leigh Mair became violent towards the fast food chain employees when she paid for her items at the order hatch but was then denied her food because she was on foot.
The incident – which has now cost her the equivalent of 86 Happy Meals – saw the 35-year-old storm to the front door of the restaurant and attack several staff, swinging her shopping bag at one.
Her solicitor, Lynn Bentley, told the court that Mair was incensed as she had gone to the same McDonald’s the previous day and been sold food without a problem.
“All she wanted was a Happy Meal for her son,” Ms Bentley added.
Accused assaulted three staff members
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird told the court the incident happened during lockdown when the Bucksburn McDonald’s was only allowed to serve customers at the drive-thru.
At around 9.45pm on January 12, 2021 staff became aware of Mair after she walked up to the first window and placed an order for a £3.29 Happy Meal.
When she moved to the second window to retrieve her order she was told by staff that they “were not able to serve pedestrians and were serving people in vehicles only”.
Mair initially walked away but was soon seen by staff at the front door of the restaurant, which was closed to the general public due to Covid regulations.
One staff member who opened the front door was squared up to by Mair, who went “face-to-face” with him before making verbal threats.
She then swung her hand at him, causing him to pull away to avoid being struck, whereby she grabbed his facemask and pulled it off.
Mair then ran at a female member of staff and attempted to strike her on the body with a shopping bag full of items.
As the two staff went back inside and called 999 one worker waited outside for the police arrived.
CCTV footage showed Mair then walking up to the man and kicking him in the back of the leg.
Appearing in the dock, Mair pleaded guilty to three charges of assault against three McDonald’s employees.
‘All she wanted was a Happy Meal’
Defence agent Lynn Bentley told the court her client had visited the same drive-thru on foot the previous day and was able to buy food.
She added that, on the day of the incident, staff refunded Mair’s money, telling her that she needed to have someone who was in a vehicle to order it for her.
Mair managed to organise this with a driver in the queue, but when she attended on foot to pick up her order she was again told she couldn’t have it.
“She was somewhat frustrated by this time. All she wanted was a Happy Meal for her son,” Ms Bentley said.
“Ms Mair was also drinking to excess at that point but she appears to be controlling this much better now.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge told Mair that she accepted that during the pandemic “matters were more difficult than they were originally”.
“But you certainly behaved inappropriately towards these staff members,” she added.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge fined Mair, of Miltonfold Court, Bucksburn, £285.
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