Terrified schoolchildren were left in tears when a dad turned up shouting, swearing and banging on the door to get in.
James Watt had turned up to Heathryburn School to collect his daughter but became incensed when he saw an incident at reception.
Still in the vestibule area and faced with a locked door, the 47-year-old began pounding on the door and shouted and swore at staff to let him in.
Such was the ferocity of Watt’s aggression, several young children burst into tears and had to be escorted away by worried teachers.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Gunn told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened just before 3pm on February 1.
She said Watt had partially entered the school building through a first set of doors, when he witnessed a “commotion” beyond a further set of doors, which were locked.
‘Behaving in this way in public in general is bad enough’
He became “angry and agitated” and was shouting and swearing at staff while demanding they “open the f***ing door now”.
Watt also began banging on the door as witnesses tried and failed to calm him down.
He then went on to put his foot up against the door while pulling the handle.
Ms Gunn told the court: “Several children nearby started crying and the two adult witnesses were in fear and alarm and thought if he gained entry things might escalate.
“Nearby teachers escorted the children away and, once that was done, they allowed the accused in.”
But that did little to defuse the situation and Watt became abusive, telling a member of staff they were “f***ing useless”.
Eventually, he left the area with his daughter and was later issued with a letter banning him from entering the school again.
Watt, of Stewart Terrace, Aberdeen, pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence agent Iain McGregor said: “He attended at the school to pick up his daughter as is normal practice.
“There’s a vestibule and thereafter a door which leads into the school itself.
“He advises me there was a physical confrontation between his daughter and another pupil.
“That’s the reason why he acted in the way he did.
“He accepts that was wholly inappropriate. He could simply have gone to the reception desk and had the incident dealt with.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Watt: “Behaving in this way in public in general is bad enough, but to do it on school premises when there are children in the vicinity is much worse.”
She ordered him to pay a fine of £680.
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