Grimsby man threatened to ‘knock out’ chip shop workers

A MAN who told teenage chip shop workers he would “knock one of you out” during a drunken tirade has been fined £1,800.

Alvan Cromer, from Grimsby, admitted uttering threatening and offensive remarks to workers in a Lerwick chip shop on 12 May this year.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Cromer, 66, had been “extremely intoxicated” and was accompanied by friends when he carried out the threats.

The workers – who were aged between 17 and 18 – eventually contacted a relative and finally the police after Cromer’s verbal assaults continued.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Cromer began complaining about the price and the portion sizes immediately after ordering food.

He then began making “offensive jokes” towards the staff, some related to racial stereotypes, which were said to be “particularly offensive” to one worker.

Cromer then threatened to “climb over the counter and knock one of you out” if his food was not delivered quickly.

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The staff members began messaging each other, saying “just do what he wants”, in order to get him to leave.

However Cromer did not leave of his own accord, and one of the workers eventually messaged their father and contacted the police.

The father arrived and asked Cromer to leave, who threatened to fight him.

Cromer did then leave, and was soon arrested by police.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Cromer had been on a vessel berthed in Lerwick, and after a hard day had decided to go to the pub before drinking “far too much”.

Cromer’s recollection was that he was “trying to be funny” in the chip shop.

Allan said his client wanted to tell the young staff at the chip shop that he was “embarrassed about his behaviour”.

He said Cromer “wanted to apologise to them all”, and had said that they “shouldn’t have had to put up with that kind of behaviour”.

Sheriff Jennifer Gear fined Cromer, who was not in court, a total of £1,800.