A spurned benefits claimant threatened to “smash” Dundee Job Centre and its staff in what one employee described as the worst incident she’s witnessed in 20 years.
Jordan Tracey “flew off the handle” during a dispute about his entitlement to benefits after his payments were stopped.
Social workers will now consider whether to send the 25-year-old to anger management sessions to help him address his behaviour.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Tracey went to the job centre at the Wellgate without an appointment to remonstrate with staff on April 20.
Depute fiscal Gavin Burton said: “At 11.20 he arrived at the locus.
“He was taken to a screened room. An employee was taken out of a meeting to deal with the accused.
“The accused was there as he had been complaining about his benefits being stopped.
“Proceedings were explained to the accused. He became agitated and started banging on the desk very loudly.
“He was shouting that he was going to smash the place up.
“Attempts were made to calm him down but he became more and more agitated, making staff feel very intimidated.
“She (one of the employees) said it was the worst behaviour she had seen in over 20 years in her job and it was the first time she had ever felt threatened.”
Tracey, of Dee Gardens, Dundee, pled guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
His not guilty plea to a second charge of breaking a lift at the Job Centre on the same day, by kicking and headbutting it, was accepted.
Defence solicitor Ian Huston said his client accepted he “flew off the handle”.
Mr Huston said: “The offence was caused by his frustration about what he believed to be a payment to which he was entitled.
“It may well be that he is not entitled, but as far as he was concerned at the time, he was.
“He does think he has a problem with anger management. He thought some sort of course in anger management would be the answer.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentencing for a criminal justice report and for social workers to consider anger management assistance.
