Rowdy arrested after Eastgate food court clash

SECURITY staff at the Eastgate Centre were subjected to verbal abuse after they asked a customer to leave the food court.

Twenty-six year old Jonathon Sinclair walked off but returned later and caused a further disturbance which landed him In Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.

Sinclair of Carnarc Crescent admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm in Falcon Square on October 16 last year by shouting and swearing and punching a bin. He also admitted committing the offence while on bail.

Depute Fiscal David Bernard said security staff were informed of a man causing a problem in the centre about 5pm. Sinclair walked off but returned to the food court about 5.35pm and was asked to leave due to his earlier conduct.

“He told them to go f... themselves,” said Mr Bernard.

The fiscal added that this was said in the presence of young families including children.

Sinclair did leave but stopped intermittently outside in Falcon Square shouting abuse at the security guards, then he punched a cigarette bin and the police were called.

William Young solicitor said Sinclair had been in the company of his girlfriend at the food court and had purchased food when he was asked to leave.

He said Sinclair was taken aback and he believed the explantion he was given by the guards was to do with someone else.

“But he accepts the language he then used was inappropriate and he lost his temper,” Mr Young added.

Sheriff Andrew Berry told Sinclair his list of previous offending was “truly terrible” going back several years on matters of all kinds.

He said the only reason he was not sending him to prison was because of his lack of offending in the past three years and he had accepted responsibility for the offence.

Sinclair was ordered to carry out 90 hours of community service.