Unpaid work for Wick man who ‘should not drink’ after drunken abuse in Golspie shop

A Wick man who had a relapse back into alcohol misuse after trying hard to beat the booze launched into a tirade of drunken abuse towards shop staff and then police after he was arrested.

Andrew Shearer, of Mill House, Stirkoke, appeared for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after a background report was prepared for Sheriff Gary Aitken who was critical of the 31-year-old’s behaviour.

He had been told that Shearer entered the Coop store in Golspie while intoxicated and became aggressive and awkward with the staff.

Fiscal depute Rebecca Coakley said Shearer was going in and out of the shop and shouting at the employees who eventually got him to leave while he made threats towards them.

But he went across the road to the Salt House bar of the Caberfeidh Hotel and continued to be disruptive so police were called.

Shearer was arrested but did not stop being belligerent and also made threats and directed insults towards the police as well as making a homophobic remark.

Defence solicitor David Patterson told the court this was “not one of his finest moments. He is a man who should not drink. He was making good efforts but this was a relapse and it was irresponsible to do so.

“There has been no further reoffending since.”

Sheriff Aitken told Shearer: “This was appalling conduct over an extended period towards people and the police who were just doing their job. But Mr Patterson assures me you are doing something about it.”

He ordered Shearer to carry out 130 hours of unpaid community work.