A 34-year-old man has been fined £1,000 for threatening behaviour at a medical practice.

Darren O’Hare was arrested after an incident at Hailwood Medical Centre on October 21.

He had previously denied an allegation of provoking behaviour, with a trial scheduled for March 3, but then agreed to plead guilty to a charge of threatening behaviour.

O'Hare appeared before magistrates on February 19 and was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Harry Bellis told the court that O’Hare went to the centre at 4pm, but his appointment had been cancelled due to him arriving late.

He was said to have been shouting and swearing, saying: ‘This is a f****** joke.’

He left, but then returned, and continued with this behaviour.

A doctor came out and asked him to leave, but O’Hare said: ‘I’m not f****** swearing. Are you coming outside with me then?”

O’Hare left, but then returned again.

He was interviewed by police, and answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

Defence advocate Peter Taylor said that O’Hare had phoned the practice in advance, saying he was going to be late, and said he had been told to attend anyway.

He said that, when he arrived, he’d been told he was too late, so he became upset.

O’Hare said that he'd gone to see the police himself after initially leaving the centre, and was told he needed to get a complaint form, so he then went back to the centre.

He said he was given a leaflet and told his complaint wouldn’t be taken verbally, so things escalated.

‘At the end of it, he said something to the receptionist he shouldn’t have,’ said Mr Taylor.

O’Hare, who lives at Close Y Lhergy, Union Mills, will pay at a rate of £10 per week, deducted from benefits.