A nightclub boss who turned up “mob handed” at a rival Perth venue and threatened staff has been fined £1200.
Barry Cushley, 36, from Glasgow, had opened the Karnival Klub on the site of the defunct City nightclub just days earlier with his brother, Liam Cushley.
After a fire alarm was sounded at the club, he visited The Loft nightclub nearby, blaming staff there for the incident and threatening the owner.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson told Perth Sheriff Court: “Deciding, rightly or wrongly, that other nightclubs in Perth might be behind these goings-on, the accused decided something should be done about it.
“The accused and a group of men arrived at the Loft nightclub and Cushley was verbally abusive to a young barmaid, ordering her to fetch the manager.
“Stewards intervened and he swore at them too.”
Mr Richardson told the court when The Loft’s manager, Craig Fraser, appeared, Cushley told him “in no uncertain terms” that if he was behind any difficulties with the new club he had better stop it.
Cushley, 36, previously admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on November 2, 2013, by making threats and intimidating staff.
He was fined £1200 at court today.
Solicitor Lorna Clark, defending, said that the Loft incident was not “premeditated”.
“My client’s emotions were high he went to the club to resolve matters,” she said.
“His remorse is entirely genuine. This is very much a man who has a lot to lose it was out of character.”
Sheriff William Wood told Cushley: “You went round to this club mob handed and uttered threats to people who were scared. I don’t want to see you in court again.”
Christopher Stewart, 39, Danish Zafar, 22, Paul Cowie, 31 and Jonathan Malloy, 30, had all previously appeared in the dock with Cushley but had the charges against them dropped by the Crown.
In 2008, Cushley was charged with drugs and money laundering offences along with other men but the Crown dropped the case due to “insufficient evidence.”