A man has been handed unpaid work after he became abusive and violent towards cinema staff when they asked him to stop vaping.
Alexander McPhee, 18, was asked to leave Vue Cinema in Aberdeen but unleashed an 18-rated volley of abuse before grabbing a worker by his lapels.
McPhee – who was out with his partner and friends – then began swinging his hands at a manager and the usher before being arrested and ejected from the building by police.
Usher assaulted in cinema reception
Fiscal depute Victoria Kerr told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that on September 27 McPhee was spotted vaping inside the cinema and was challenged and asked to stop.
McPhee replied that he would “do what he wanted” and then told the manager of the cinema to “f*** off”.
McPhee ignored requests to leave and continued acting in an aggressive manner.
The manager then left and contacted the police.
Following this, McPhee attended at the main foyer area of the cinema where he grabbed a member of staff by his upper clothing, causing the manager to intervene.
At this, McPhee then began swinging hands at the manager as if he intended to strike him.
Police arrived and arrested McPhee and removed him from Vue.
As they drove to Kittybrewster Police Station, McPhee was heard to remark that he “hadn’t touched them”.
Appearing in the dock, McPhee pleaded guilty to two charges of assault.
‘Go do something productive’
Defence solicitor Paul Barnett told the court that McPhee’s father was present in court and that he “very much disapproved” of his son’s behaviour.
“Mr McPhee had consumed some alcohol before going into the cinema and had been vaping in the cinema itself,” the solicitor said.
“He did not respond well to being told to stop.
“He absolutely accepts this is unacceptable – he wants to give his assurance that he will not behave this way again.”
Mr Barnett added that if McPhee was given a fine, his dad would pay it for him and he would pay him back.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told McPhee that she did not consider his father paying his fine to be an acceptable punishment.
“I hope we don’t see you back here again,” she said, adding: “Go do something productive with your time.”
Sheriff Johnston made McPhee, of Clinterty Park, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order and ordered him to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work.
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