Jail warning for Inverness man who entered pub with knife
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An aggressive drunk who was ejected from an Inverness pub only to return later with a knife has been warned he could be jailed.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Robert Campbell (60) of the city's Anderson Court, was deemed unsuitable for unpaid work and was on benefits.
A background report had been called for by Sheriff Robert Frazer who said there were few options left to him and custody was foremost in his mind.
But defence solicitor advocate Clare Russell said that no assessment had been made of her client's ability to do light duties and asked for the case to be deferred again for her to get a medical report.
Sheriff Frazer was then told that staffing difficulties currently had created a problem for supervising light duties. Ms Russell said that it would be unfair if that were to be the reason for her client to be jailed.
Sheriff Frazer agreed to defer sentencing for the additional report but told Campbell: "All options are still open to the court."
The court had previously been told that Campbell was disarmed by another patron of the Nip Inn on Grant Street and police were contacted.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said that the incident occurred on August 22 last year when police were contacted by the barman about Campbell being aggressive.
"Police attended and he was asked to leave, which he did," he said.
"But he returned to the bar with a knife which had a seven and a half inch blade and walked towards the middle of the bar in the direction of the barman, shouting incoherently.
"He was seen to be waving the knife around by other patrons and a woman tried to calm him down.
"Her partner then approached him (Campbell) from behind and grabbed the knife off him. Police were again alerted."
Campbell admitted illegal possession of the knife and threatening or abusive behaviour.
Ms Russell told the court: "He acknowledges his behaviour was unacceptable. He has sought to address his difficulties with alcohol himself. The Nip Inn was his local but he has been prohibited from going there now.
"A number of people who were there at the time and he describes as friends have asked after him following this."
Campbell will return on August 28 to learn his fate.
