A former Dundee boxer stricken with Alzheimer’s disease verbally abused his ex-partner in the street.
Albert Buchanan was one of the city’s top amateur boxers in the 1980s — along with his brother Billy.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, the former fighter, 59, of Atholl Street, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on June 20 this year.
The court heard that Buchanan was now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
He admitted approaching his former partner Marion Gibb in Lochee High Street and repeatedly making derogatory remarks towards her.
Buchanan went to a fish shop, where Ms Gibb is employed as a sales assistant, and waited for her there.
He then left and walked to her car, which was parked outside.
Buchanan approached Ms Gibb and launched the foul-mouthed tirade, adding: “Look at you, you are a mess — are you away to meet your boyfriend?”
The court heard that the police were contacted as Buchanan left the scene and made his way to the nearby Albert Bar.
Buchanan was then apprehended.
An agent acting on behalf of Buchanan confirmed that the former boxer had been diagnosed with dementia.
He said: “He is extremely sorry for his behaviour on that date but he is nearly 60 years of age and he has a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
“That is in no way an excuse for his behaviour — he knows it was unacceptable. He regularly attends GP appointments and appointments at Ninewells Hospital for further treatment.
“There is ongoing treatment for these difficulties.
“He is an ex-boxer and he was quite well-known around Dundee. He had a history of being involved with kids in the Lochee area of the city through boxing.
“He is well-known for passing on his boxing knowledge to young kids in the area.”
Sheriff John Rafferty deferred sentence until November 8, calling for social work reports to be carried out on the basis of Buchanan’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
Buchanan, a light welterweight, boxed for Scotland and was a member of Lochee ABC. He won several trophies during his career.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.