An Angus man has been fined by a sheriff after he and a friend were arrested over a maritime misadventure.
Richard Hartshorne, from Brechin, and John Sharp, from Scunthorpe, were on a yacht in Arbroath marina last summer when police were called due to “drunken antics”.
Hartshorne, 41, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted committing a breach of the peace at The Shore along with co-accused Sharp on July 12.
Hartshorne also admitted launching a “rant” of racially aggravated abuse at Arbroath custody suite in Gravesend, and refusing to desist when told to do so by police.
Depute fiscal Joanne Smith said the harbour was “busy with families and tourists” as the men drank through the afternoon and became a “nuisance”.
She continued: “At 5.21pm, police received an initial report from a member of the public about the accused, who were heavily intoxicated.
“They were found in a boat called the Blue Angel which was moored in the harbour area.
“Police were advised they were shouting and swearing and being a nuisance.”
When police attended, Sharp became “extremely aggressive and abusive” and both men “gesticulated” at officers with their middle fingers.
“Other police units attended,” Ms Smith said.
“Mr Sharp continued his tirade towards police.”
The men were eventually detained and taken to Arbroath police office.
While Hartshorne was there he began a “rant of racially offensive language” about people of Pakistani origin, which was captured on CCTV.
“Give me a gun and I’ll do my job,” he was heard to utter.
Ms Smith said that neither man was cautioned and charged as they were so drunk.
For offshore worker Hartshorne, defence agent John Hall said the actions were “out of character”.
“These were drunken antics,” he said.
“Mr Hartshorne can only put down his behaviour to excessive alcohol.
“He has served in the armed forces and has served alongside a number of nationalities. He accepts he has acted inappropriately.”
Although previous convictions were admitted, Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said Hartshorne had not troubled the courts for a “significant period of time”.
He was fined £840.
For Sharp, of Clevedon Road, solicitor Billy Rennie said his client was on a community order in his native Scunthorpe.
The 49-year-old’s sentence was deferred to July 7 for the preparation of criminal justice social work reports and his bail was continued.