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AN ELGIN COUPLE landed up in court when an early morning visit to a Pizza Store in Lossiemouth resulted in their becoming involved in a fracas with staff.

Lee Stewart, 38 and his partner Nicola Baker, 30 who live together in Elgin, arrived at the Pino Pizza shop in Lossiemouth at around 1am on July 2.

Elgin Sheriff Court learned on Thursday that Stewart, who was a former employee at the store’s Elgin branch, had demanded Lossiemouth staff call him ‘Boss’ – as former colleagues had done in Elgin, although he was not a manager.

When they refused the couple became violent leading to their being locked out of the store. Fiscal Alex Swain told the court that both continued to shout and use threatening gestures outside the store, with Miss Baker kicking the door. A customer called police who caught up with the couple on the A941 between Lossiemouth and Elgin.

A further confrontation led to police having to restrain Stewart who lashed out at them.

Defence solicitor Ian Maltman said that Stewart had worked for Pino Pizza in Elgin and “had a good rapport with staff”, adding: “Staff in Elgin previously called him ‘boss’ – although he was not the manager. When he visited the Lossiemouth branch he suggested staff there should call him that.

“The difficulty was that the complainer did not know Mr Stewart and took exception to that.”

Both accused admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing and making threats at Pino Pizza. Baker also admitted causing damage by kicking a door and smashing a glass pane, while Stewart admitted resisting arrest.

Stewart was sentenced to 160 hours of unpaid work while Baker was also ordered to complete 120 hours unpaid work and to pay £100 in compensation for the damage caused.