Disorderly workers banned from Thurso nightspots

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Conduct was "frightening and unpleasant" for patrons trying to enjoy their night out said sheriff imposing heavy fines

FINES totalling £3000 were imposed on building workers for disorderly conduct in two Thurso nightspots, last year.
All six contract workers from the Central Belt area of Scotland were banned from Top Joe's and Skinandi’s nightclub.
The accused, who admitted a breach of the peace at Wick Sheriff Court, were Anthony Sharpe, 48, Ross Anderson, 19, brothers William Beattie, 24, and Steven Beattie, 21, and Donald McAffer, 29.
The court was told that the first disturbance occurred at Top Joes and involved the Beatties, Sharpe and Anderson.
David Barclay said that a fight broke out between 10pm and 11pm and it was not clear how it had started. The fracas developed into a ‘stramash’ resulting in some of the patrons sustaining cuts and bruises.
Mr Barclay said: “What is clear is that the three accused were actively involved in the brief incident which appeared to hit a flashpoint.”
All five accused were involved in the second, similar, incident in Skinandi’s, later the same night.
Again, it was difficult to say how the fighting had started but all the accused were involved and some patrons suffered minor injuries.
Mr Barclay suggested to Sheriff Richard McFarlane that exclusion orders from the licensed premises could be considered as part of the sentence.
Passing sentence, Sheriff McFarlane said that the impression he got was that the accused “worked hard and played hard”.
However, he said that he could only imagine the frightening experience it must have been for patrons trying to enjoy their social evenings and described the intrusion as “unpleasant” and “wholly unacceptable”.
William Beattie was fined £600, Sharpe £900, and Anderson £600; McAffer, and Steven Beattie 400.
The bans from the licensed premises was fixed at a year.