An out-of-control teenager booted a cocker spaniel while trying to spark a fight in a Moray park.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, “repeatedly” took aim at the dog and called a man “baldie” to entice him into a brawl.
Elgin Sheriff Court yesterday heard that the youth spotted a couple he knew in the town’s Cooper Park on Saturday, September 10.
Fiscal Alex Swain said: “They were walking a dog when they became aware of an aggressive male voice shouting and swearing nearby.
“They heard the phrase ‘I’ll cut you’ but couldn’t see anyone due to the bushes and vegetation.
“The accused later shouted ‘Oi, baldie’ at the man, and persisted when these remarks were ignored.”
The court heard that when a cocker spaniel belonging to the man’s female companion approached the accused, he lashed out at it.
The 16-year-old kicked the dog in its side, causing it to run away, and then he struck the man in the head.
Miss Swain said the complainer “tried to exercise restraint”, but had to wrestle the accused onto the ground to prevent another attack.
After the accused was allowed to his feet, he again kicked the cocker spaniel.
The teenager admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, uttering threats of violence and “repeatedly kicking a dog”.
The youth’s lawyer, Stephen Carty, said the “unseemly situation” was a source of regret for his client.
He added that the boy was drunk at the time, despite only being 16.
Sheriff Chris Dickson blasted the “disgraceful behaviour”, and deferred sentence for six months.