Two pals attacked staff at the iconic Balmoral Hotel after they were denied espresso coffees at the bar following a drunken night out.
Daniel Stevens and John Johnstone turned up at the five-star hotel on Edinburgh’s Princes Street and treated themselves to a bottle of champagne.
Johnstone, 44, had taken Stevens, 39, on a night-out in the capital to commiserate over a relationship split.
But after being denied the coffees before they caught a train back to Fife, the pair snapped.
Stevens assaulted a night manager at the hotel while Johnstone struck a bar worker.
The men appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Monday and each admitted two charges against them.
Fiscal depute Oliver Davidson-Richards described the assaults on duty night manager Philip Ingham and barman Mihai Romano.
Defence agent Mark Hutchison, acting for Stevens, said his client had been taken out by Johnstone as he’d just had a break-up.
Mr Hutchison said they’d purchased champagne “at some expense” and thought it unfair to be denied the coffees.
Mr Hutchison said: “Things began to go downhill.”
The solicitor said Stevens’ judgement was “affected by alcohol”.
Defence agent Eddie Robertson, acting for Johnstone, said the men had stopped at the Balmoral before catching a train home and enjoyed a number of drinks.
Mr Robertson said the pair wanted the espressos before their journey back but the request for more drinks were “met with a bit of a deaf ear”.
The solicitor said his dad-of-three client tried to “placate things as best he could” when the arguments started with hotel staff but Johnstone was “under the effects of alcohol”.
Mr Robertson said it was a “thoroughly regretful incident”.
Stevens, of Lochgelly, admitted assaulting Philip by pushing him to the body and dragging him to the floor on September 16, 2019.
He also admitted resisting, struggling or hindering constables Daniel Bruce and Megen Reilly by struggling violently with them after police were called to the scene.
Johnstone, of Hill of Beath, admitted assaulting Mihai by striking him on the head and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing.
Sheriff Peter McCormack fined unemployed Stevens £360 and unemployed roofer Johnstone £270.
