A Fife man who danced with an umbrella as he vandalised Dunfermline Sheriff Court’s front door claims he may have been spiked.
The court heard John Maxwell had no memory of the offence, but believed he may have been injected with an unknown substance while fixing an oven at a nearby property.
Maxwell, who only had one shoe, was heard chatting to himself during the bizarre incident outside court on May 6. He appeared to think he was in Hawick or Jedburgh.
Appearing at the same court this week – albeit this time in the dock – the 54-year-old pled guilty to a vandalism charge.
‘It wasnae me’
Procurator fiscal depute Mat Piskorz said court staff had seen Maxwell pulling items from a skip at around 5.15pm, before leaving and returning a short time later.
He went through the unlocked outside door at the back entrance to the court building and started pulling and shaking the inner double doors.
Maxwell, of Dunfermline’s Inglis Lane, then swung one of the doors and caused the glass panel in it to smash.
He remained in the vestibule and ripped part of the door keypad entry from the wall, causing electric cabling to come out.
Police were contacted and Maxwell was arrested and charged. He responded: “It wasnae me.”
‘Spiked’ claim
Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said Maxwell was a recovering alcoholic but there was nothing to suggest he was under the influence of drink at the time.
The solicitor said: “It seems bizarre behaviour.
“Mr Maxwell himself has no recollection of this at all, but does remember going to a flat nearby to fit an oven.
“There were three individuals in the property who were all misusing drugs and causing a bit of chaos in the property, to such an extent he had to go and get a couple of spare parts that had gone missing.
“He remembers going into B&Q and going out of B&Q and remembers nothing else.
“He cannot prove it but believes he may have been spiked.
“He says there was injecting going on at the time.”
Umbrella dance
Mr Morrison said that at one point during the incident at the court building, his client “took an umbrella and was dancing around with it.”
It is understood the umbrella had been in the vestibule.
The solicitor continued: “When police arrived he was described as appearing to be under the influence of an unknown substance and appeared to be talking to himself.
“They noted a lack of footwear and a small cut to his left foot and that he appeared extremely disorientated and kept making references to being in Hawick and Jedburgh, and the names of several different people he believed were present with him, and was having a conversation talking to himself.
“His next memory is waking up in the police station with one shoe on.”
Sheriff Susan Duff adjourned sentencing until September 14 for the production of background reports.
