A Lanarkshire tanning salon proprietor who threatened to "wipe out" a pal over a £12,000 debt had been dealing with "monetary spoil".
Raging John Lucas warned a male pal that he would ship "heavy responsibility folks" to his residence if the cash wasn't paid again instantly.
However his lawyer claimed this week that it was an "empty risk" introduced on by the stress his shopper was dealing with over his struggling enterprise.
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Lucas, 34, of Hagen Drive in Motherwell, was positioned below supervision for 2 years at Airdrie Sheriff Court docket.
He admitted threatening his pal at his Airdrie residence on December 28, 2020, and threatening or abusive behaviour in direction of law enforcement officials the subsequent day.
Lauren Cole, prosecuting, informed the court docket: "He phoned his pal at his residence in Airdrie to debate £12,000 that [his friend] owed.
"The boys have been shut associates however had fallen out over the debt.
"Through the name Lucas grew to become irate, demanding fee and threatening the person and his household with violence.
"He mentioned, 'I am going to f****** wipe out the lot of you. I've acquired heavy responsibility folks coming to see you and your loved ones if you aren't getting this f****** squared up proper now'.
"Because of the nature of the calls, the pal contacted the police."
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When officers went to arrest Lucas, his accomplice, Kerrie Black, answered the door.
Mrs Cole added: "She shouted inside to Lucas, 'they will f****** jail you', and tried to shut the door.
"Lucas appeared and shouted, 'the place's your f****** warrant?'. He grabbed an officer's radio and threw it to the bottom.
"He started to withstand arrest violently and, consequently, pava spray was discharged. Lucas shouted ,'f******. spray me, ya bam. I am going to rip your f****** face out'.
"Pava was sprayed an additional twice and the officers have been then capable of handcuff him."
Black, 33, had her not responsible pleas to prices of resisting arrest and threatening or abusive behaviour accepted.
Defence agent Neil McShane mentioned dad-of-one Lucas reacted after his pal's dad phoned him relating to the debt.
Mr McShane acknowledged: "His view was that there was nothing excellent and if Mr Lucas was to attend in search of that cash he would discover out what would occur.
"My shopper had been consuming and taking prescribed medicine. He phoned his pal and mentioned issues he should not have mentioned.
"His place is these have been empty threats.
"He was dealing with monetary run due to the failure of his sunbed enterprise however accepts there was nothing that would justify these feedback.
"He doesn't have a big report for violence.
"It is a very severe cost however custody would have a devastating impact on his household and accomplice."
Sheriff Joseph Hughes mentioned Lucas was "on the cusp" of a jail sentence however agreed to impose a group payback order as a direct various which incorporates 160 hours of unpaid work.
Lucas can even be confined to his residence between 7pm and 7am every day for 4 months below an digital tagging order.
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