A 59-YEAR-OLD man became involved in an early-morning fight at a Kelty “drinking den”.

Hugh Milne hit a man with a kitchen tray then grabbed a woman by the hair. When arrested, he continued to create a disturbance after being put in a police van.

Milne, of Provost Mill Way, Kelty, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on June 16, at Loch Leven Terrace, Kelty, he assaulted a man by striking him with a kitchen tray.

He then behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by struggling with people, whereby he seized a woman by the hair.

Milne also admitted that he shouted, swore, acted aggressively, repeatedly shouted in a police van going to the police station, banged and kicked at the cage door.

Depute fiscal Alistair McDermid said: “The locus seems to be a drinking den and this incident involved a dispute over a bottle of vodka.

“That led to the accused saying he was going to hit one of the people present. He picked up a kitchen tray and tried to hit this male but instead struck another person.

“This sparked off a general fight amongst all those present. It was described by a witness as a ‘melee’ and during the course of this, the accused grabbed a female by the hair, resulting in a clump being removed.

“All parties were intoxicated at the time.”

Police were called and Milne committed further offences when officers arrived at the scene and he was arrested.

Defence agent Danielle Varela said her client knew the householder and had spent the night there after drinking.

“He woke up to find the house full of youngsters consuming alcohol at eight in the morning,” she added.

“He had no idea why they were there or even if the householder knew them. He asked the youngsters to leave. He wanted to prevent any trouble but the request had the opposite effect.”

Ms Valera said her client tried to take a bottle of vodka from a 14-year-old girl. “That’s what sparked what happened afterwards,” she went on.

Milne had then been attacked, said the solicitor.

Sheriff Alison McKay imposed a community payback order with 12 months’ supervision.