A Lanarkshire businessman took the law into his own hands after a robbery at one of his shops.
Amin Shafiq and other accomplices armed themselves with weapons and went looking for those they believed to be responsible.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that police were alerted and officers found meat cleavers, a machete, a baseball bat and other weapons in a car boot.
Shafiq, 34, of Dalgleish Place, Wishaw, admitted possession of an offensive weapon - a metal bar - in McClurg Court, Motherwell, on 1 April, 2021.
His not guilty pleas to charges of possessing more weapons and being involved in assaults on three men and a woman were accepted.
Defence advocate Louise Arrol said dad of four Shafiq owns a takeaway and a dessert shop, employing eight people in total.
The court heard that he and his accomplices went to McClurg Court to try to get back the money that had been taken in a robbery.
Ms Arrol said: "He was concerned there might be repercussions, but it wasn't his intention that there would be violence.
"A member of staff had been assaulted and a significant sum of money taken."
Ms Arrol urged Sheriff John Speir not to jail her client, saying he works "all day until 2am" but would be willing to undertake a community payback order.
The sheriff fined Shafiq £1575 and placed him under social work supervision for a year.
He must also do 150 hours of unpaid community work.
Sheriff Speir told the accused: "There are matters of concern here, but I'm persuaded that I can impose an alternative to custody."
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