Jailed for‘shooting up’in street

A heroin addict who ‘shot up’ in a busy Stirling city centre street to the consternation of a bystander was this week jailed for nine months.

Vincent Lowden, of Monument View, admitted a charge of breach of the peace by inserting a hypodermic needle into his arm and injecting himself with its contents at Barnton Street on August 12 this year.

The 46 year-old also admitted assaulting a police officer at Falkirk Police office.

Fiscal depute Lindsey Brooks told Sheriff Court on Tuesday that a witness and her teenage son had been in Barnton Street to buy food at 5.30pm that day.

Lowden was spotted in a doorway with a syringe part in his mouth, his jacket draped over his arm and injecting himself.

Ms Brooks said the witness was upset by the sight and police were called.

Officers found Lowden nearby and he was arrested after they spoke to him. When he was taken to Falkirk Police he spat on an officer’s trousers.

His agent Stephen Maguire told Sheriff Alison McKay that he lived primarily with his mother at Monument View.

Lowden didn’t have a significant recollection of that day’s events, he said, as he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Mr Maguire pointed out his client had made some attempt to hide what he was doing, adding: “He is a drug user of some years standing. He does inject, but does it as discreetly as possible.”

The lawyer said the accused had not been sure why he was being arrested that day and, out of frustration, had spat at the officer at the police station.

Mr Maguire explained Lowden had a heroin problem of nine years standing and had been prescribed painkillers. On that day he had consumed “street valium” and some alcohol.

Lowden was realistic about the sentence he would receive as Mr Maguire had been unable to identify any alternative to custody.

Sheriff McKay told Lowden custody was the only option given his “frankly dreadful” record.

She sentenced him to nine months’ imprisonment, reduced from 12 months, to take account of his guilty plea. It was backdated to August 13.