A DRUNK man ran amok with a golf club and smashed a car windscreen after he had been called “clarty” by a group of men outside a chip shop in Dunbar, a court heard.

Christopher Forbes, 26, was spotted hanging out of a first-floor flat window on the town’s High Street by three men who were waiting on their order at the takeaway.

After engaging in small talk, Forbes took offence when he heard one of the group call him “clarty” and he began to act aggressively, the court was told.

Forbes, currently of New Mart Place, Edinburgh, shouted from the window that he wanted to fight with the man and then he “threatened to stab him”.

Forbes then made his way from the property and called the men “p***s” and “an altercation” broke out on the street at about 5pm on April 21 last year.

Forbes’ partner Claire Ingle, of Dunbar, then appeared on the street carrying a golf club and started “waving” it at the group before chasing after one of the men along High Street.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that Forbes then took possession of the club and began “striking the windscreen” of the group’s car, which was parked nearby.

The court heard that the windscreen was smashed, causing £330 of damage, and both Forbes and Ingle then went back to the property.

Police were called and both attackers were cautioned and charged. The incident was also said to have been captured on street CCTV.

Forbes appeared in the dock at the city court last Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two charges, including behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, uttering homophobic remarks, challenging the men to fight with him, brandishing a golf club at them and placing them in a state of fear and alarm.

He also admitted to wilfully or recklessly damaging property belonging to another by striking a vehicle and causing it damage during the incident on April 21.

Co-accused Ingle, 26, failed to appear at court but her guilty plea to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, uttering homophobic remarks, challenging the men to fight, brandishing a golf club at them and placing them in a state of fear and alarm was accepted in her absence.

Ingle’s solicitor Rebecca Weissgerber said that her client “accepted her behaviour was unacceptable” and she was currently adhering to a previously imposed community payback order.

While Forbes’ lawyer Mark Hutchison said that his client was “the only one injured” during “the stramash” and he had to be treated by paramedics after being “struck more than once”.

Sheriff Donald Corke fined both Ingle and Forbes £270 for their part in the incident, while Forbes was also sentenced to a £330 compensation order to cover the damage to the vehicle.