A thug smashed a hotel TV with a hammer and threatened to attack another customer if he called the police.
Kieran O’Connell admitted carrying an offensive weapon and acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Wishaw’s Commercial Hotel on January 8. He was jailed for 14 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court, LanarkshireLive reports.
O’Connell, 30, was at the time the subject of anti-social behaviour orders imposed in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Jailing him, Sheriff John Speirs said: “You have a very bad record.”
The court heard the bar manager was serving customers when she heard a loud smashing noise coming from the hotel extension area. She saw O’Connell leaving and a man who turned out to be his brother told her someone had fallen over and there was no need to call the police.
The manager then saw a wall-mounted TV above a booth had been smashed. Another customer saw O’Connell was carrying a hammer and followed him out of the hotel, intending to see where he went and to call the police.
O’Connell turned and shouted: “If you’re on the phone to the police I’ll kick your head in.” Police officers were shown CCTV footage of the TV being smashed and identified the accused who was arrested nearby.
Defence lawyer Tony Callaghan said the dad of two has had “significant” mental health issues over the years. The solicitor added: “These are exacerbated when he takes alcohol.
“On this night he had met his brother and they were watching football on television. They had an argument and he acted in the way described.
鈥淭he hammer was a tool that belonged to his brother who was still in his working clothes.”
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