Accused of assault and being six times drink limit

A 47-year-old man denied a catalogue of charges, including attacking his wife and then driving dangerously - and at speed - towards two police officers, causing them to jump clear to avoid being struck.

Shane Seale, of The Old Nursery, Kippen, near Stirling, is also accused of dragging a female officer along the ground after culpably and recklessly driving his car while the front door was open - and being behind the wheel whilst more than six times the legal booze limit.

He will face trial before a jury at Perth Sheriff Court on December 4 after appearing on indictment this week.

Represented by Perth lawyer David Holmes, he faced a total of seven charges.

It is alleged that on November 30, 2018, at a house in Elmvale, Auchterarder, he assaulted his wife Margaret by seizing her by the throat, to her injury.

He is then said to have acted in an aggressive manner on November 30 and December 1, repeatedly knocked and banged on the front door and shouted at his wife and a teenage girl.

A third charge claims that on December 1 he drove a car with the front door open, while police were trying to prevent him from doing so, and then dragged PC Katherine Knox along the ground, to her injury.

He has also denied driving dangerously at Elmvale and during a journey between Auchterarder and Kippen, on roads including the A84 at Blair Drummond, the B8075 at Kirk Lane, and on Main Street and Oakwood Crescent, Kippen.

He is said to have driven at speed towards PCs Diane Todd and Mandy Shepherd, causing them to jump out of the way.

Seale is then said to have mounted the kerb and pavement, narrowly avoiding a collision with two parked police cars, and repeatedly drove in excess of the speed limit.

He is also accused of repeatedly swerving onto the opposing carriageway, braking heavily and reversing along the carriageway while the car had a smashed windscreen.

It is alleged that the dangerous driving took place during the hours of darkness and while he was“heavily under the influence of alcohol.”

Further charges alleged that he failed to co-operate with a preliminary breath test at Old Nursery Road and declined to give information as to the identity of the driver of the car.

A final charge claims that he drove with more than six times the legal alcohol limit at Elmvale, Auchterarder, and Oakwood Crescent, Kippen.

His reading is said to have been 113 microgrammes, in excess of the legal limit of 22.

Seale’s trial is expected to last four days and his bail was continued meantime.