A boozy night out has ended up costing two friends thousands of pounds.
Richard McGregor and Hugh McPhee were staying at the Greenacres Caravan Park in Blairadam, near Kelty, when they attempted to enter the wrong chalet.
Understandably turned away by the occupants who were unhappy at being awoken at 6am by two drunk men the pair are said to have “lost the plot.”
Faced with being denied entry, McGregor began to strike out at parked cars with a chunk of concrete. Meanwhile, his companion continued to knock on the chalet’s glass door before picking up a brick and throwing it at it.
Some three doors away, McGregor’s brother was asleep, unaware his guests had failed to make it to their beds.
“In the light of day and once they sobered up, both men were deeply ashamed and embarrassed by their actions,” McGregor’s solicitor told Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday.
“Mr McGregor’s brother was obviously not at all happy about the treatment his neighbour had to suffer at the hands of the two men. They simply got the wrong chalet in their drunken state and ended up knocking on Mr Reid’s door.
“The complainer was understandably irked to be wakened up in the middle of the night by two people who were quite obviously very drunk. Words were exchanged and my client and Mr McPhee then behaved in the disgraceful manner described.”
He said his client accepted that he had a long-standing problem with alcohol, but was making efforts to deal with his issues.’Frankly ridiculous decisions'”Alcohol causes him to make some frankly ridiculous decisions,” he said. “He is currently serving a driving ban in connection with a drink-driving offence.”
McPhee’s solicitor added, “There are a number of permanent chalets on the caravan site, in which the complainer and Mr McGregor’s brother live. They and their neighbours form quite a tight-knit community, and because of that this incident has caused a great deal of embarrassment and shame.
“It is for that reason that both men have apologised and have worked hard to pay for the damage caused in this matter.”
The court heard their apology had been accepted and that each of the accused had presented the complainer with £1000 to cover the damage.
Depute fiscal Robbie Brown said the incident had been “extremely worrying, distressing and alarming for the complainer.”
“For some reason or other these two men appear to have lost the plot on being told they were not going to be allowed entry to the chalet,” he added.
McGregor (37), of McOwan Avenue, Crieff, admitted smashing the windscreens of four vehicles at the caravan park on June 19. Co-accused McPhee (33), of Main Street, Airdrie, admitted damaging the glass and brickwork of a glass door and frame.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told the pair, “I am prepared to deal with this by way of a monetary penalty, but it has to be a substantial one, notwithstanding the money already paid to the victim.”
He fined McGregor £2500 and McPhee £1000.