Homophobe who threatened to stab pub manager and called police ‘f****ts’ escapes prison
The Fort pub/hotel (The Fort Facebook)
A man escaped jail after verbally assaulting police with homphobic slurs and threatening to stab a pub manager.
Brian Rooney, 27, had to be pinned down by onlookers after a frenzied face-off with pub staff in Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that when the pub’s manager, John Black, asked Rooney to step outside the bar in order to follow coronavirus guidelines, Rooney started to become very hostile and angry.
Refusing the request, Rooney began threatening to call his family, who he said would stab Black.
Rooney continued to verbally assault Black, walking to a different area of the pub. It was then that a witness grabbed Rooney and restrained him on the floor.
Prosecutor Christine Allan said: “A second witness heard the accused threaten to stab the first witness. Police attended and observed the situation with the accused on the ground.”
According to the witnesses, Rooney was “immediately hostile” toward police. After being apprehended in a police vehicle, he began to call them “faggots”.
Sheriff (judge) Tom Hughes said to Rooney: “Your behaviour on the day in question was completely and totally unacceptable.”
The accused pleaded guilty to verbally attacking Black in August. He also pleaded guilty to a second charge of verbally attacking police, using homophobic slurs.
Larry Flynn, defending, said Rooney had drunk alcohol and taken drugs on the night of the attack.
Sheriff Hughes said: “I am sure you are listening to the news right now and how this virus is spreading and the problem the catering establishments are having just now.
“I am telling you quite clearly that’s unacceptable and you are lucky I am not locking you up for all of this.”
Rooney was placed under supervision and has been banned from The Fort pub for two years.
