A gambler who threw a glass that struck a barman at an Aberdeen casino also made threats to “inflict pain” on the police officer who turned up to arrest him.
Austin Daniels appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted assaulting and threatening behaviour towards staff and police while at the city’s Grosvenor Casino in the early hours of the morning.
It was stated that Daniels launched a glass at the unsuspecting barman, which struck him on the wrist before smashing on the ground.
When police arrived, the 35-year-old called one officer a “rat” and vowed to assault him upon his release from custody.
As he left the court, Daniels made a show of giving the middle finger to the courtroom as he stormed out of the building.
Threats to police
Fiscal depute Victoria Kerr told the court that at 1am on April 1 this year an employee of Aberdeen’s Grosvenor Casino was working behind the bar when he noticed Daniels standing at the other side.
Without warning, Daniels then threw a glass at him that struck his right wrist and smashed on the ground in front of him.
A door steward at the venue witnessed Daniels do this and called police before escorting him out of the premises.
When police arrived and placed Daniels in the back of a police van he made “various threats” to assault one officer.
“While travelling to the police station, the accused continued to act in a threatening manner and said he would assault the police officer upon his release,” Ms Kerr said.
As he was booked in at the charge bar at Kittybrewster Police Station, Daniels made further threats to harm the officer and called him a “rat”.
He stated that upon his release from custody he would “take down” the officer and “inflict pain”.
In the dock, Daniels pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and a second charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence solicitor John McLeod told the court that Daniels claimed he had “tossed” the glass at the barman, rather than threw it.
“But it was throwing a glass in a public house and he accepts that,” Mr McLeod added.
The lawyer also claimed that his client’s subsequent abusive behaviour towards the police officer was because he was in “excruciating pain” due to the tightness of the handcuffs he was wearing.
Sheriff Joseph Platt fined Daniels, of Don Street, Aberdeen, a total of £32o.