A chainsaw-wielding drunk’s court appearance inspired a film parody splash for a regional daily.

The Dundee Evening Telegraph ran with the headline ‘The Reckless Chainsaw Hassler’ in homage to the ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ series of horror movies.

The Evening Telegraph was inspired to run the headline after covering the case of Robert Cartmill, who admitted breaching the peace by trying to start an unguarded chainsaw Dundee city centre.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Cartmill, 44, was seen trying to repeatedly start the petrol-driven chainsaw as he staggered around while intoxicated, at one point falling flat on his face.

Evening Telegraph editor Dave Lord told HTFP: “We are certainly blessed with an ‘interesting’ sheriff court in Dundee – the saying no two days are the same could have been coined for it.

“There have been some incredible cases, and finding ways to tell some of the unique stories is a constant challenge.

“When a local man caused ‘fear and alarm’ as he repeatedly tried to start a petrol-driven chainsaw while staggering around the city centre it was clearly a story worth telling – and a good test for our creativity.

“We don’t have any poets on the staff but we certainly have people capable of a good rhyme, so it didn’t take too long to realise ‘reckless’ rhymes with ‘Texas’ and ‘hassler’ rhymes with ‘massacre’ and so a catchy headline with more than a nod to the iconic Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie was born.

“Obviously this was a genuinely scary situation but it was good to be able to give the story its due prominence in a memorable manner.”

Fiscal depute Gavin Burton had told the court Cartmill was “clearly under the influence” during the incident on 5 June last year.

Jim Caird, defending, said: “He was transporting this and other items from his father’s house to his own house.  For some reason he was stupid enough to try and start it.”

Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence for reports and told Cartmill that “all options” would remain open to him.