Camelon man punched takeaway worker after storming behind counter

Graeme Clark (58) took exception to being informed he would have to wait for his order to be prepared, so much so he eventually forced his way behind the counter before launching an attack on the employee, breaking the worker’s glasses in the process.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Clark, 12 Irvine Court, Camelon, had admitted assaulting the staff member at Fortune Takeaway, Main Street, Camelon on April 28 last year.

The court heard Clark had stormed into an area reserved for staff only at around 9.25pm, asking those working there “What are you going to do?”

He was eventually given a bag containing the food he had ordered, however, trouble soon flared as he returned to the customer side of the till and began making demands of his victim to open up the tubs in the bag.

Procurator fiscal depute Ashley Smith said: “The accused placed all the food cartons onto the counter and asked the witness to open them.

“The witness refused and the accused punched him once to the right hand side of the face, causing his glasses to fly from his face and break.”

His defence solicitor told Sheriff Craig Caldwell that Clark, who is employed as a steel fixer, had been to a party prior to his arrival at the shop and was “ashamed of what he did that night”.

The sheriff was also told Clark had “very little recollection” of what had taken place in the takeaway.

His defence solicitor asked for a compensation order to be imposed, a disposal which Sheriff Caldwell was agreeable to.

Describing Clark’s behaviour as “utterly unacceptable”, Sheriff Caldwell added: “This was an entirely unprovoked assault against a man serving the public.”

Clark was fined £200 and ordered to pay a further £200 in compensation within four weeks to the Fortune Takeaway employee he attacked.