A man who rampaged around Dundee challenging people to fight and damaging property also threatened a social worker trying to help him stay out of jail, a court has heard.
Craig Nicholas Whelan’s rampage included trying to pick a fight in broad daylight outside Marks & Spencer’s in Broughty Ferry.
He was due to be sentenced on Monday but had threatened the social worker tasked with examining alternatives to a prison sentence.
As a result, the court-ordered reports were not ready and outraged Sheriff Alastair Brown had to re-order them.
He said: “If you threaten another social worker and they can’t do a report as a result your feet won’t touch the ground.
“Your drug-taking problem probably did cause this.Either you deal with it or you spend a long time in jail.
“I will not have another public servant who is only trying to help you threatened.”
During the incident in Broughty Ferry on February 5, Whelan, 40, of Fleming Gardens, punched and kicked shop windows and challenged members of the public to fight in busy Brook Street.
He had to be wrestled to the ground by police.
Just days later, on February 11, he was challenging people to fight, shouting aggressively and banging on windows in the Hilltown.
In strikingly similar offences, Whelan challenged a woman to fight at the offices of Tay Taxis on January 20.
He narrowly missed hitting bar staff when he culpably and recklessly threw a bottle at Barrels Bar and wilfully smashed two windows at Frews Bar on January 22.
On the same day Whelan brandished a bottle at a man and woman who he also assaulted at Tesco in Strathmartine Road, and also assaulted a woman in the Athletic Bar.
Other charges include stealing a car and car equipment from Seabraes carpark on August 15 challenging people to fight and knocking over display units in Stobswell chemists and medical practices on November 6 last year.
Whelan was given one more chance to co-operate and obtain reports before he is sentenced on April 18.