A Perthshire man who incited a primary child to fight another youngster in their school playground has been ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
Stuart Higgins shouted and swore and urged them to brawl after witnessing an altercation minutes before the bell rang to begin the school day.
Perth Sheriff Court heard an argument had broken out between several boys after some tough tackling in an early morning kickabout.
Higgins, 32, launched a volley of foul-mouthed abuse toward some of the boys and urged another to fight, to the horror of onlooking parents.
They were so shocked that they reported him and contacted the police.
Higgins, of Hatton Place, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by swearing and inciting a child to fight another, causing fear and alarm on August 28 last year.
Solicitor Mike Tavendale said his client had since apologised.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Higgins that his attitude towards violence gave the court cause for concern, citing a previous conviction for assault, and ordered that he be supervised for nine months.
