One of the country’s top chefs spent the weekend behind bars after being accused of attacking another man with a cricket bat.
Willie Deans, who won gold for Scotland at the culinary Olympics, appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday.
The 52-year-old former Scottish Chef of the Year made a brief appearance in private to face a petition alleging he assaulted Gary Cummings at the weekend.
Deans is alleged to have used the bat to repeatedly strike Mr Cummings on the head and body near his restaurant Deans @ Let’s Eat in Perth.
The petition alleges Deans assaulted Mr Cummings, who runs a property letting business with his wife, by “repeatedly striking him on the head and body with a cricket bat to his injury”.
The offence is alleged to have taken place on Carpenter Street, Perth, on Sunday. Deans, Glenorchil View, Auchterarder, made no plea or declaration during the brief hearing before Sheriff William Wood.
The case was continued for further examination and Deans, who was unshaven and in handcuffs, was released on bail with special conditions. He was barred from entering Carpenter Street or approaching Mr Cummings.
Deans formerly worked at Turnberry Hotel in Ayrshire and was head chef at the Buttery in Glasgow for a number of years.
He won Young Master Chef of the Year and was named Scottish Chef of the Year in 1995, as well as being runner-up in British Chef of the Year in 1996.
While at the Buttery, he was named Restaurant Chef of the Year by the Craft Guild of Chefs. He also won the ultimate accolade of AA Restaurant of the Year in 2004.
He lectured for seven years in Glasgow and during that period represented Scotland several times in the culinary Olympics, winning gold and a number of other medals.