A man became abusive and threatened to smash the windows of a mobile phone shop after a staff member refused to give him a refund.
Royston Wooley, of Faraday Square in Milnsbridge, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of using threatening behaviour.
The incident happened in the Vodafone store at the Kingsgate Shopping Centre on January 16.
Wooley entered the store and raised an issue with his mobile phone, prosecutor Alex Bozman told the court.
“He was refused a refund.The member of staff told him the handset on the inside was wet and not suitable for an exchange.
“He became abusive towards that staff member and made threats to put the windows through.”
The court was told that the 39-year-old’s behaviour escalated as he continued swearing.
He was asked by the store manager to calm down as there were children in the store.
Wooley ignored this request and several members of security staff attended to deal with him.
Mr Bozman said: “This didn’t defuse the situation and he continued being aggressive, flailing his arms round. He tried to grab one of the security guards around the crotch area and they took him to the ground.”
Magistrates were told that his behaviour led to at least one customer leaving the store.
In August last year he received a conditional discharge for disorderly behaviour.
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Sonia Kidd, mitigating, said that her client had a difficulty with alcohol and tended to binge drink.
Mrs Kidd added: “He said all he had in his life was his television and phone.
“This was not working and he couldn’t make contact with anybody.
“He explained this to the person in charge.
“He’d had a drink and was trying to make his point but he (the staff member) wasn’t taking account of what he was saying.
“Had the complainant listened to what he had to say we might not have had this incident.”
Magistrates gave Wooley a community order with six months of alcohol treatment.
He must also comply with a curfew and pay £60 victim surcharge.
