A 46-YEAR-OLD grief-stricken man carried out an assault with a metal pole and threatened another with a shovel, Jedburgh Sheriff Court has been told.

Terry Armstrong. from Kelso, pleaded guilty to assault to injury and also two counts of threatening or abusive behaviour in the town on the evening of May 29.

He started at 7.30pm by shouting a homophobic comment towards a householder at around 7.30pm.

The court heard that a man had witnessed Armstrong staggering along the road and when he phoned for a take away an hour later the man decided to accompany the delivery person to make sure everything was all right.

However fiscal Fiona Hamilton explained that when Armstrong saw the man on the delivery he picked up a metal pipe and went towards shouting and swearing.

Armstrong then struck the man on the ear and left elbow with the metal pipe before hitting him on the left shoulder dislocating it.

The man then took Armstrong to the ground to prevent any further blows and was able to disarm him.

Armstrong was involved in another incident shortly afterwards when he was asked to leave a property and returned with a shovel and began threatening a man with it.

The incident was captured on video.

Defence lawyer Liam Alexander explained how his client had been grief stricken by the loss of his mother in May.

He said: “It might not be an excuse but it is some way of an explanation for his behaviour.”

Sheriff Janyss Scott imposed a Community Pay Back Order with 120 hours hours unpaid work as an alternative to custody.

He also told Armstrong to pay £240 in compensation to the man he struck with the metal pole.