Edinburgh crime: Drunk lout who caused disturbance and assaulted staff at Edinburgh Starbucks sentenced

A drunk lout who caused a disturbance and assaulted staff at an Edinburgh city centre coffee shop has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

David McCandless, 52, turned up at the Starbucks outlet at the city’s Princes Street and made his way to the front counter at around 8.55pm on December 16 last year.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard two staff members and five customers were present when McCandless “appeared to be intoxicated” and his presence made the employees “uncomfortable”.

David McCandless, 52, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court. | AL

Fiscal depute Debbie King said: ”The accused was asked to leave as they were closing for the day and the accused began shouting at them. They continued to ask the accused to leave and one was pushed on the body several times.”

The staff were said to have been left “feeling threatened” by McCandless’s aggressive behaviour and he was arrested after the police were contacted.

Defence agent Ruairidh Mulheron said his unemployed client, of Leith, Edinburgh, was “ashamed and embarrassed” by his outburst and had no recollection of the offences.

Mr Mulheron said: “He was waiting for a friend in the pub and had one drink of alcohol and remembers nothing until waking in the police station the following morning.”

Sheriff Charles Walls sentenced McCandless to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work in the community as punishment.

McCandless pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and refusing to leave the premises at Starbucks, Princes Street, Edinburgh, on December 16 last year. He also admitted to assaulting employee Alexander Briggs by repeatedly pushing him on the body during the same incident.

McCandless had not guilty pleas accepted to causing damage within the store by pulling out electrical wires on a door, seizing items, possessing a quantity of diamorphine and making offensive remarks to police officers.