Graeme King objected to the coronavirus rules at Spar on Montague Row in Inverness
A former soldier has appeared in court after he took exception to a local shop’s social distancing rules.
Graeme King refused to leave the Spar store or adhere to the two-metre rule and then threw his groceries and a mobile phone at the counter.
Police were eventually called and the 46-year-old was charged with threatening or abusive behaviour.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told counter assistants at the city’s Montague Row shop challenged King about his behaviour but he made a sarcastic comment before throwing items at the check-out.
King, of Duncraig Street, Inverness, was not present when the case called yesterday but admitted the April 28 2021 offence through his lawyer, Rory Gowans.
The solicitor told Sheriff Robert Frazer: “He was intoxicated, had gone to the shop and then had not fully understood what he was being asked to do.
“When told to keep two metres apart, he asked the staff if they had a tape measure.
“He had a loss of control and composure.”
Ordering ex-Royal Marine King to carry out 70 hours of unpaid community work, Sheriff Frazer said: “We cannot have accused persons behaving in this fashion, especially during a global pandemic.”
