A 34-year-old Skipton man left the manager of the town’s Strata Nightclub “intimidated” and “upset” by his abusive and threatening behaviour, magistrates heard.

Gerard Duthart became abusive after being told not to drink in the Keighley Road club’s outside smoking area, the court was told.

On two separate occasions, he challenged the club’s general manager, Gemma Rishworth, called her insulting names, squared up to her and made a cutting gesture to his throat after first pointing at her.

He also told Ms Rishworth she had “started a war” with him, he was going to get her and “his gang was bigger than her gang”.

He made further insults to another member of staff and to police officers who arrested him after first warning him about his behaviour, the court was told.

At the police station, he complained of chest pains and was taken to Airedale Hospital after claiming he had taken a cocktail of drugs.

Prosecuting, Charles Macrae said following the incidents in August last year, Ms Rishworth had said in a victim’s statement that she had felt upset and very intimidated by Duthart’s behaviour.

She added that he had not attended the club since.

Mr Macrae said Duthart, a heavily built, large man, had stood in close proximity to Ms Rishworth and CCTV footage had shown him standing close to both her and colleague Connie Currie making verbal threats.

He said although no weapons had been used, Duthart’s language had been very offensive and his actions aggressive.

Duthart, of Rowland Street, admitted two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour on August 24 and on August 27 last year. He had earlier admitted possessing a class B drug, cannabis, in Skipton on October 25.

In mitigation, Sarah Guttman said Duthart could remember little of what had happened on both occasions. She described him as softly spoken but extremely agitated with psychiatric difficulties.

“He cannot recall what he said, but accepts it was totally unacceptable,” she said.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing for a full, all options report to August 23.

He was allowed bail on condition he lived at his address in Rowland Street, did not enter the Strata Nightclub or Grove Bar and did not go within 20 metres of the premises, and he co-operated with probation staff for the pre-sentence report.