A yob who directed a homophobic slur towards his neighbours and spat in the face of a 60-year-old man during the height of the coronavirus pandemic has been spared jail.
Miklos Somonyi, 36, had been involved in an argument with some of his neighbours and shouted to them, "Yous are all f****** p****".
A few weeks later he confronted one of the neighbours, Paul Douglas, in the street near his home.
Prosecutor Rachel Wallace said: "Mr Douglas was walking his dog and saw the accused. On noticing Mr Douglas, the accused crossed the road and spat in his face."
Mr Douglas returned home and called the police, and Somonyi was arrested.
Miss Wallace said: "He openly admitted spitting in his face.
"He said, 'I spat on him. I don't want to hit a pensioner'."
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the spitting incident occurred on May 11 2020, and the homophobic behaviour over a month earlier on April 9.
Somonyi, of Bantaskin, Falkirk, pleaded guilty to assault and statutory breach of the peace, aggravated by homophobic prejudice.
Defence solicitor Murray Aitken said: "The cause of this was a neighbour dispute, but the neighbours have since left the area.
"There's been no repetition, nor can there be, now they live elsewhere.
"With regards to the second incident, which is clearly the most serious, both parties had been out walking their dogs when Mr Somonyi perceived that a comment was made under the breath and a gesture was made towards him.
"The red mist descended."
Sheriff Christopher Shead sentenced Somonyi to perform 120 hours of unpaid work.
He told him: "If you don't comply you will be brought back and sentenced again for these offences."
