Takeaway driver used metal pole in row over cold kebab

Three men were caught on CCTV brandishing metal poles during a row over a cold kebab in Dumfries.

Delivery driver Sadiq Yildirim and his sons Cerkez Yildirim and Erkan Yildirim admitted threatening and abusive behaviour and brandishing metal poles in public.

Sadiq Yildirim also admitted striking a man on his back with a metal pole taken from the boot of his car.

At Dumfries Sheriff Court, they were handed community payback orders and ordered to undertake unpaid work.

The incident happened last July after a customer complained about a late and cold kebab delivery.

The customer threw his takeaway back into the delivery vehicle while driver Sadiq Yildirim was sitting inside.

The court heard that the fracas escalated out of control and Yildirim's two sons became involved.

The court was told that the customer had since received a fixed penalty notice for striking Sadiq Yildirim with a golf club during the incident, leaving him with bruising to his stomach.

Sentencing, Sheriff Colm Dempsey told Sadiq Yildirim, the assault on the customer was "an outrageous offence".

In mitigation, the court was told that social work reports described Sadiq Yildirim as "ordinarily a hardworking gentleman".

Solicitor Dominic Kearney said Cerkez Yildirim had a limited record and accepted the situation had got out of hand.

The court heard Erkan Yildirim had a previous conviction for assault. Solicitor Liz Dougan said Erkan ran the family business six or seven days a week and had stepped up his involvement since his mother's illness.

The three will have to complete their sentences of unpaid work within nine months. Sadiq Yildirim was given 100 hours, reduced from 110 hours for his guilty plea at trial.

Cerkez and Erkan Yildirim were both handed 90 hours of unpaid work, reduced from 100 hours.