A dad ended up in the dock after fighting someone who came to his door to raise an issue about his teenage son.
Father-of-five Lee Howard “did not take kindly” to the doorstep visit and things deteriorated, a court was told.
Police were called after a passer-by saw two men fighting on the grass outside Howard’s Alness home.
Howard, 38, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a single charge of threatening or abusive behaviour in relation to the incident on July 1 last year.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court it was around 10.25am when the fight broke out at Howard’s Westford home.
Witness heard ‘aggressive screaming’
She said a witness was alerted to the situation by “aggressive screaming”.
“When she looked in their direction she observed two unidentified males fighting in the grass area outside the address,” the fiscal depute continued.
Solicitor Rory Gowans, for Howard, told the court his client was in full-time employment with a seafood company.
Dad ‘didn’t take kindly’ to doorstep call
He said: “The individual in the complaint came to his front door following some variety of incident relating to his 19-year-old son – he didn’t take kindly to that.
“Things degenerated from there into what used to be described as a fighting breach of the peace.”
Sheriff Neil Wilson told Howard: “You should have stepped back from it,” and fined him £420.