A Dundee man who challenged his “neighbour from hell” to a fight was fined £335 at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Andrew Robert Urquhart, 42, of St Ninians Terrace, admitted that on September 15, at his home address, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm, repeatedly shouted and swore, uttered threats of violence and challenged James Knox, c/o Police Scotland, to a fight.
Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin told the court the complainer was in his garden when Urquhart walked out of the common close.
She said the accused shouted: “You think you’re a big man f****** shouting at women?”
The complainer asked who the woman was he was supposed to have shouted at and the accused shouted back: “You were shouting at my f****** wife last week.”
Mrs Gilmartin said the accused then took off his shirt and challenged Mr Fox to “meet me half way”.
There was another threat by the accused to see him later and the complainer asked: “Why don’t you just do it now?”
Urquhart replied: “I’m not that stupid, I’ll wait.
“I’ll smash your windows and your car, and I don’t care if the kids are in it.”
Solicitor Gary McIlravey said: “The complainer can properly be described as the neighbour from hell.
“My client has suffered two years of abuse and this incident centres around a torrent of abuse made to his wife while she was carrying their two-year-old child.
“He tells me he was challenged to a fight by the complainer and he was reacting to that.”
Sheriff Charles Macnair interjected and asked Mr McIlravey if he wanted to take the case to a proof in mitigation, however, Mr McIlravey said his client simply wished to state his side of events and was pleading guilty as libelled.
He said: “He admits he was at fault, but it was not just his fault.”
Sheriff Macnair told Urquhart: “I have to sentence you on the basis of the crown narration.”