A drunken “pest” who bothered businesses in Arbroath’s Fit O’ the Toon after overdoing his Dutch courage has been locked up by a sheriff.
Mark Ewen was all set for a weekend date when he made the journey from his Guthrie Park home in Brechin to Arbroath on Saturday.
But the combination of alcohol and medication led to the 31-year-old getting involved in three incidents at a pub, restaurant and chip shop in the space of just over an hour.
He is also currently the subject of six bail orders.
Ewen fell out with other drinkers at the Fisherman’s pub and was thrown out of there before going to the seafront Old Brewhouse restaurant where he had a pint of beer and fish and chips.
But when he was asked to settle the £14 bill, Ewen threw the manager a £10 note and began another argument, leaving when the manager threatened to call police.
Ewen then headed to Marco’s chip shop at the town’s harbour and ordered a king rib supper but changed his mind and demanded his money back, despite having not paid for the meal.
The shop manager stepped in when he saw staff were frightened by Ewen’s behaviour and the accused attempted to grab the supper before he left the premises.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said his client is on prescribed medication and had a very limited recollection of the incidents.
“The advice is to avoid alcohol but he had arranged to meet a girl in Arbroath and decided to have a couple of drinks for Dutch courage,” said the solicitor.
“He made a complete pest of himself.”
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio remanded Ewen in custody until Thursday when other matters will be considered, along with a Crown request for an exclusion order banning him from every licensed premises in Arbroath.