A budding north-east businessman has been fined after pushing over a table and assaulting a policeman at a bar in Fraserburgh.
Derek Soutar was out celebrating Hogmanay with friends at Cheers Bar on Broad Street when he fell off a chair, prompting staff to ask him to leave.
The 21-year-old then told the barmaid he was going “kick-off”, before doing just that as he pushed over a table and attemped to flip another over.
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Only an intervention from the bar’s security staff stopped the other table from toppling over.
Police were called and Soutar kicked out at one of the officers striking him on the leg.
Soutar appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court yesterday to plead guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and assaulting a police on January 1.
Defence agent Iain Jane said Soutar’s mother was with him in court and said she had been left embarrassed by her son’s actions.
He said Soutar was also a budding entrepreneur with a fledgling online business selling goods on two leading retail sites.
Mr Jane said: “His mother has accompanied him to court and is mortified by his behaviour.
“Mr Soutar runs his own business as an internet seller. He is registered with Amazon and Ebay and he sells goods through the sites.
“His business is three years old and has made a small profit.”
Mr Jane added that Soutar had sought to apologise to the policeman he assaulted after his release from Fraserburgh police station, but was told he had finished his shift.
Soutar passed a letter to the court apologising to the man he kicked on Hogmanay and Sheriff Christine McCrossan asked it be given to the officer involved.
She fined Soutar, of Watermill Road, Fraserburgh, £750.