A HAWICK man who was involved in a bust-up outside his former place of employment has been fined £200 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Jamie Walsh, 30, of Noble Place, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing, challenging a person to fight and making threatening and intimidating gestures.

The incident happened outside the Sainsbury's store in Hawick just after 9pm on February 8.

Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, explained that Walsh had until recently been employed at the store but was the subject of disciplinary proceedings and advised to stay away from

the store until they were concluded.

She said staff had finished their shift and were leaving the store when Walsh saw them and began "throwing his arms about" and "kicking off" as well as shouting expletives.

A man who was waiting to pick up his wife saw what was going on and got out of his car to assist her to which Walsh said to him: "Come on big man, do something about it."

The fiscal said that Walsh continued to be abusive for several minutes to staff members before leaving the area.

Police were called and they viewed CCTV which captured some of the incident.

When cautioned and charged Walsh replied: "It's a joke."

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said his client had been at the cash dispenser machine as another one in Hawick was not working.

He added that while at the cash machine he was approached by staff members who told him to get away from the store and he felt "aggrieved" by this.

Mr Patrick said: "Things escalated from that. It was all fairly unnecessary."

The lawyer explained that Walsh had worked at Sainsburys for eight years but because of mental health problems had to take a significant period of time off work which had led to ill-feeling.