A Halfords technician has claimed he threatened a co-worker with a spanner after believing that he had cost him his job.
Thomas Ibbotson had only been working at Halfords Autocentre in Aberdeen for a short time when he was told his employment was being terminated.
He thought Grant Gregor had passed information about him to bosses and on May 10 this year decided to confront him.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Ibbotson walked over to his colleague and started shouting and swearing while asking Gregor if he “had a problem”.
A manager attempted to break up the disturbance, but Ibbotson brandished a spanner over Gregor’s head.
Ibbotson then asked him to step outside.
A short time later he was escorted off the premises.
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Threatening and abusive manner
Ibbotson confessed to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and brandishing a spanner during a court appearance earlier this week.
The 26-year-old was also charged with using the spanner as an offensive weapon but his not guilty plea to that was accepted.
Sheriff Philip Mann said: “The Crown accepts the spanner was not in fact an offensive weapon. It must follow that you had no intention of using that spanner to cause harm.
“On that basis I am prepared to deal with this today and get the matter out of the way.”
He ordered Ibbotson to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.