A Douglas scaffolder has been fined £500 after admitting an offence of provoking behaviour at Marmaris takeaway on Castlemona Avenue in Douglas.

Alexander Robert Kaneen, of Woodbourne Lane, was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs by Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes.

Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court how, on July 22 at 3am, Kaneen was in the Douglas takeaway when two men walked in and sat down waiting for their order.

Kaneen was said to have approached one of the men and called him a ’maggot’.

He did not know the men but then said to the second man: ’You’re a maggot as well for not sticking up for your mate.’

Mr Swain said that, no doubt, Kaneen had been trying to provoke a fight.

Another man then entered the takeaway and shook hands with Kaneen as he appeared to know him.

Kaneen then left the takeaway but the two men inside told police that they were concerned a fight would take place outside.

A witness told police that they saw Kaneen abusing the two men and saying: ’You’re not going to do anything.’

The witness went on to say that there was a ’bad atmosphere’ in the takeaway and it looked like Kaneen was trying to provoke a fight.

The court heard that a fight had occurred outside the takeaway but no charges were brought in relation to it.

Kaneen was arrested for provoking behaviour in relation to his behaviour in the takeaway but told police he didn’t recall being in Marmaris.

When asked by police on a scale of one to 10 how drunk he was, with 10 being the highest, Kaneen answered ’20’.

He said he had no idea why he acted the way he did but could not confirm or deny the matter because he couldn’t remember it.