A 42-year-old man has been fined £650 after a long-running neighbourhood feud got out of hand.
Michael McCall shouted derogatory remarks and told his neighbour he would ‘smash his face in’.
Then, after being arrested, he stuffed a risk suit down a toilet in a police cell.
McCall admitted threatening behaviour and property damage, and was also ordered by Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood to pay £150 compensation to the police, and £125 prosecution costs.
Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that police were called to Snugborough Avenue in Union Mills, where McCall lives, on July 13, at 7.40pm.
McCall was described as animated and had been shouting at his neighbour.
He was said to have used an offensive term and told him he would ‘smash his face in’.
McCall was said to have been also shouting ‘come on then’ and inviting the man for a fight.
The man said he had been in fear of what may happen so he had gone into his house and locked the door.
McCall was arrested and given a risk suit, but stuffed it down a toilet in a police cell, blocking it, which resulted in the cell having to be cleaned at a cost of £150.
During an interview, the defendant claimed that his neighbour had started the row and he had been provoked.
He said that he used to be friends with the man, but they had then had a long-running dispute over a number of years.
Regarding the toilet, McCall said that he had just wanted to get attention as he did not have his medication.
He opted to represent himself in court, declining the use of a duty advocate, and said that he was looking to move house and that he wanted to apologise for the words he had said to his neighbour.
Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood fined McCall £300 for threatening behaviour and £350 for property damage.