A knuckleduster-wearing brute threatened to cut a dog’s face as he held a blade after being refused a cigarette by a woman on her Glenrothes doorstep.
Tooled-up Irvine Fairgrieve was in Julian Court, Glenrothes, on June 17 this year.
Prosecutor Sarah Smith told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the woman was sitting on her front doorstep at around 4pm when Fairgrieve, 37, stood at the gate to her garden and asked for a cigarette.
The fiscal depute said the woman declined and stated she was “having her last one”.
Fairgrieve opened the gate and when asked to leave, replied: “I’m only asking for a f***ing fag”.
The woman saw he had a knuckleduster on his right hand.
Dog cut threat
He left but returned a short time later with a friend and two other people exited the property.
The fiscal depute said Fairgrieve’s friend tried to persuade him to leave.
“However, the accused by this point was holding a small Stanley knife and threatened to cut the face of a dog belonging to one of the witnesses.
“He was shouting and swearing but the witnesses could not make out everything he was saying due to his seemingly high level of intoxication.”
Fairgrieve was still wearing the knuckleduster.
The women went back inside and one threw a scooter towards him to get him to leave. Fairgrieve threw it back at the front door.
He appeared in court by video link to prison to plead guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and making threats to harm the dog while in possession of a knife.
He also admitted having a knuckleduster, an offensive weapon, without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
Intoxicated from party
Defence lawyer David Bell said Fairgrieve had been outside a friend’s property and was shouting to be let inside when the woman on her doorstep started the conversation before he asked for a cigarette.
The solicitor pointed out there was no violence and Fairgrieve – who was intoxicated with Diazepam from a party the night before – never approached the dog.
Mr Bell said his client had collected the knuckleduster the night before from a friend as he believed someone intended causing him harm.
Sheriff Steven Borthwick said he had to take into account Fairgrieve’s previous convictions for weapons use, public disorder and breaches of court orders and jailed him for 16 months, backdated to June 18 when he was first remanded.
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