An Aberdeen man threatened to burn down a homeless accommodation building with people inside.
Charles Bateman, 31, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the building on West North Street in the city at around 7.15pm on April 7.
Depute fiscal Lynzi Souter said: “The accused was seen to be acting in an aggressive manner, punching and kicking the door of the locus, and he was also heard to state ‘I’m going to burn this unit down with everybody in it’.”
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Bateman, whose address was given as Whitehouse Street in Aberdeen, also admitted a second charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner over messages sent via Facebook.
Lawyer Iain Hingston said his client had had a flat at the premises on West North Street.
He said: “Somebody broke into his room and everything was stolen. What little possessions he had were stolen from his room and that could only be done by someone within the premises. Secondly he was robbed of a mobile phone.
“He felt staff were not taking his troubles seriously.”
Regarding the threat to set fire to the building, Mr Hingston said there was “nothing behind those words”.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge deferred sentence until October and told Bateman: “I’m going to give you a chance to see if you can conduct yourself by thinking first for the next six months.”
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