An Aberdeen man who brutally attacked customers at an Aberdeen fast food restaurant has been branded a bully in court.
Wayne McNaughton, 37, launched his unprovoked assault on two men sitting inside Popeyes on Union Street last month.
McNaughton pled guilty to two charges of assault and also admitted behaving in a threatening manner towards two shop workers in a separate incident, which took place last year.
The court heard that McNaughton had also shouted and swore at the Poundland workers on August 18 and 19 and resisted arrest, assaulting a police officer by trying to headbutt him.
Fiscal depute Sophia Ramzan told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that McNaughton had gone to the Union Street chicken restaurant at around 6.30pm on February 10 and began punching a man on his body repeatedly.
“He then picked up a chair,” Ms Ramzan continued. “And threw it at the [other complainer].”
She said one of the men locked himself in the toilet to escape the violence and when police arrived McNaughton was standing outside the restaurant.
On August 18 last year, McNaughton went to Poundland on Union Street at around 1pm, the court heard, and began shouting at two workers.
“He threatened to assault one of them,” Ms Ramzan said. “They were both left in a state of fear and alarm.”
Poundland workers threatened
McNaughton’s intimidation tactics continued later that day when he returned to the shop at around 5pm and stood outside staring at one of the same workers.
The following day, he returned at around 11.30am and once again stared inside at the female workers.
The police were called and, during his arrest, McNaughton lunged at one of the officers, trying to headbutt him. He also called him a derogatory name relating to his ginger hair.
McNaughton’s defence solicitor Erin Buchanan said her client went to Poundland because they had made accusations about his stepson being a shoplifter.
“He took matters into his own hands,” Ms Buchanan explained. “It was stupid and childish.
“He acts on impulse.”
Deliberate actions
But Sheriff Mark Stewart interrupted and said: “It is not impulsive to turn up at a place of work – that is deliberate.
“He thinks he can do what he likes, and he will continue to do so until someone stops him – that’s what bullies do.”
Sheriff Stewart said he was “not fully persuaded” that McNaughton had acted out of the interest of his stepson.
“He is a bully,” the sheriff said. “It’s about his ego – I am not persuaded that he takes full responsibility for his actions.”
‘He is a bully’
The court heard McNaughton had completed zero hours on an ongoing community payback order.
Sheriff Stewart said: “He says it is because he has to look after his child, but what it means is he can’t be bothered.”
Turning to McNaughton, the sheriff continued: “If this comes back before me, and if you breach this order, I will have no hesitation in sending you to custody.”
McNaughton was placed under a Restriction of Liberty Order for six months for each of the two offences, to run concurrently, meaning he must stay at his home address at Cameron House, Charlotte Street, between 7pm and 7am daily.