A MAN who kicked off at staff in the local MP’s office has been warned about his criminal behaviour by a sheriff.

Gilbert Penman, 55, was in the dock at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, June 6, after sentencing had previously been deferred for reports.

He showed up at Luke Graham’s Alloa office on April 10, and started shouting at staff after experiencing problems with his benefits.

The day before the offence, the elected rep’s team advised him to apply to the Social Welfare Fund, as his Universal Credit payment came in with “significant deductions” for arrears.

When the fund rejected his application the next day, Penman returned to the office in the afternoon and flew into a rage.

Depute fiscal Susan Campbell said: “A female member of staff afforded him entry, and he immediately began shouting and pointing at her.

“He was stating it was her fault he didn’t get his money, and other staff members were concerned by this.

“The accused was shouting and swearing, using phrases such as: ‘You’re all tory b******s.’”

Despite being asked to stop, he went on to call a female staff member a “b***h”, and threatened to smash the office windows with a sledgehammer.

He then left, and was later arrested and charged with the offence – which he pleaded guilty to on May 9.

Just one year earlier, Penman admitted a similar offence after he became abusive towards police in Alloa last April.

They had to forcibly remove him from the town’s job centre, and received an earful of insults in the process.

In court on Thursday, Robert Smith, defending, said his client told the author of a Criminal Justice Social Work report there was nothing wrong with his behaviour.

The solicitor admitted this would “cause some concern”, but claimed that after speaking with Penman that morning, he had since changed his mind.

In mitigation, he said his client was an unemployed man barely scraping by on the welfare system.

He claimed that after deductions from his benefits, Penman was left with just £82 per month to live on, and at the time of the offence he was “at the end of his tether” at being left destitute.

Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said: “It’s very important you understand, these people were just doing their job, and what you did is not something that’s acceptable and is a criminal offence.”

He then handed Penman, of Hill Street in Alloa, a Community Payback Order with the requirement he undergo supervision for a 12-month period.