Two Men Admit City Centre Post-Referendum Disorder
A teenager has admitted a string of offences in Glasgow city centre on the day the result of the Scottish independence referendum was announced.
Kieran Christie, 19, was snapped holding a lit flare in the air among a crowd of people at George Square on September 19, last year.
He went on to abuse three men in a nearby street as well as shouting insults at girls who exchanged words with a friend of his.
Christie, from Springboig, Glasgow pled guilty to culpably and recklessly lighting and holding the flare, two charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and being in possession of a bottle, as an offensive weapon.
Another man, Dylan France, from Dennistoun in the city's east end, pled guilty to breaching the peace by fighting on Buchanan Street, Glasgow.
It was reported at the time that a number of arrests were made after trouble flared in Glasgow city centre on the day the referendum result was announced.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Christie was photographed holding a lit flare above his head and the picture was subsequently printed in a newspaper.
Procurator fiscal depute Niall Macdonald said: "The flare itself when lit is very hot, at the lit part extremely hot, there's also smoke that comes off the flares."
He told how around 10.30pm Christie was within a group of people at St Enoch Square and after his friend exchanged words with two females, Nichole Whitton and Nicole Mann, he shouted abuse at them.
Mr Macdonald said Christie shouted vulgar names in an aggressive manner.
Around half an hour later Christie approached three men on Buchanan Street outside the Apple store and aggressively asked "What *** side are you on?".
The court heard the men believed it was a reference to the referendum and ran off, alarmed by what was said to them.
Christie shouted "I'm going to *** get you" and "I'm *** coming for you" as well racially abusing one of the men who is mixed race.
It was heard that Christie came face to face with the men again on Renfield Street where he brandished a glass bottle.
The three men then chased Christie into Central Station where they knew there would be police, and the teenager was arrested.
Mr Macdonald said France was on Buchanan Street with friends when another group ran towards him. He was punched by someone and tried to hit the person back.
Two other men Joseph Gibson, 40, from Clydebank and Gary Pullar, 21, from Cumbernauld had their not guilty pleas accepted to their part in a breach of the peace on Buchanan Street by fighting.
Sentence was deferred on Christie and France until next month and their bail was continued.