A CARDENDEN man threw a plate of food in a neighbour's garden when he lost his temper while eating his dinner with his father.

James Nicol became aggressive towards both the neighbour and his father during the incident which caused them to call the police.

Nicol, 49, of Hyndloup Terrace, previously admitted, at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, that on February 3, at his home address he assaulted his father, aged 79, and did strike him on the body, having been granted bail on February 3.

Also, at Carden Castle Avenue, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm in that he acted in an aggressive manner, shout, swear, throw a plate on to a neighbouring property causing same to smash and repeatedly utter abusive remarks.

And, on February 2, at Dunfermline Police Station, acted in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress to a constable, in respect that uttered racially offensive comments towards him.

Depute fiscal, Dev Kapadia, told the Court that Nicol lived with his father who told the police that he had "mental issues".

"He would fly off the handle at the slightest thing and he was scared for his safety in his own house," Mr Kapadia said.

The pair were having the dinner at 5.30pm when Nicol lost his temper and started shouting and swearing at his father, the Court heard.

The accused threw a plate of food on to the neighbour's garden.

As the neighbour was in the kitchen at the time he heard the smash so went to see what was going on.

Nicol made some unpleasant remarks to the neighbour who had to stand back a few paces because of the aggression the accused was displaying.

Nicol's father told him to calm down following this but he just shouted at him, "shut up you old b******".

The neighbour could see that Nicol's father was scared and said he was going to call the police - the accused continued to shout abusive remarks.

When the police were called Nicol became aggressive towards officers and had to be restrained.

During the incident he remarked to one officer that he was an "English B******".

The charge from the next day occurred when Nicol called his father to say he was at Court and he had no money.

His father came to Dunfermline to give him a lift back home and said he would take him to Nicol's address.

While driving on Halbeath Road though the accused became aggressive about that and his father asked him to get out of the car.

The complainer tried to calm him down but he lashed out and hit him on the chest.

Defence solicitor, Elaine Buist, said: "You will see he has his own tenancy but he does spend a lot of time with his dad.

"I would say they are fairly dependant on each other.

"When he was being taking home by his father he told him that he didn't get special bail conditions and he found it frustrating that his father was not listening to him.

"He accepts what he said to the officer was unacceptable."

Sheriff Alastair Brown said: "I am troubled by your behaviour towards your father and other people.

"If you can not control yourself you are going to end up in prison."

The Sheriff imposed a community payback order of one year's supervision.