Drunkrace-rageabuser told victim he was a cop
A DRUNK man impersonated a police officer to try and arrest a stranger who was making his way home.
William Esdale was sitting on a wall on Broomhill Lane on August 21, last year, when he hatched the deceitful plan.
A resident attempting to get into his home saw Esdale walking towards him as he was entering the common close.
The 48-year-old stopped the man from getting into the building, telling him he was a police officer and to put his hands on the ground and not move.
When the man ignored his requests, Esdale, of Rotherwood Avenue, Knightswood, continued shouting that he was under arrest and pointed to a police vehicle nearby suggesting that it was his.
He then called 999 himself to admit that he was impersonating a police officer and had someone “on scene”.
The call taker could hear the victim asking Esdale to get out the way, and him replying “don’t try and break away from me” and “stay there”. After the call taker challenged him, Esdale ended the call.
Police officers who were dealing with an incident nearby attended the scene. They found Esdale to be in an agitated state.
He told one officer “that f*****g monkey shouldn’t be walking the streets” and “that b*****d could be one of them”.
Despite being placed under arrest, his abusive behaviour continued. Shouting at the scene, he told the shocked victim: “I’ll be coming back for you”.
He then turned on the officers, telling one that he was “f******g dead, I’m going to kill you.”
Esdale appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court for sentencing after pleading guilty conducting himself in a disorderly manner, stating he was a police officer and breaching the peace, threatening to pursue someone and threatening to kill police.
The court heard how the accused had been visiting his daughter and had a disagreement over her new partner.
Sheriff Divers described the incident as “disturbing” and ordered Esdale to undergo one year of supervision and pay a fine of £450, £50 of which was attributed to the racial element of the crime.