A Gulf War veteran verbally abused a Good Samaritan who took him in to her own home because he was “down on his luck”.
Richard Bekier also threw a pen at Morag Chadwick at her home in Perth on June 23 this year.
Despite the retired teacher offering him somewhere to live, the 43-year-old called her a “scumbag”.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Ms Chadwick had also previously given Bekier money.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson said: “The complainer in both charges was at the time a 63-year-old retired school teacher.
“A year or so prior to this incident she met Mr Bekier by chance in the street and had spoken to him.”
He said the woman had further conversations with Bekier, learning more of his history.
“She learned that Mr Bekier was down on his luck, with a drug problem and difficulty with accommodation,” Mr Richardson went on.
“She took pity on him from time to time she would give him money and allow him to stay at her house.
“On this occasion he had been staying at her house and, for some reason, on the Monday evening he started being verbally abusive towards her, calling her a scumbag and a liar.
“She threatened to call the police and he took hold of the mobile phone to stop her from doing so.
“He was in possession of a pen, which he threw at her, and which struck her on the face.”
Bekier, of South William Street, Perth, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards Ms Chadwick by repeatedly shouting at her and taking a mobile phone from her, preventing her from calling the police.
He also admitted assaulting her with the pen.
Sheriff Valerie Johnstone deferred sentence on Bekier until December 3 for reports.
In 2012 Bekier was jailed for eight months after stealing the credit card of a “vulnerable” woman and using it to take £300 from a cash machine and to buy goods worth almost £30.
Bekier had befriended the woman while he was working as a Big Issue seller outside Perth’s Morrisons supermarket.