Plean drunk verbally abused police officers

A student who verbally abused police officers at his Plean home was this week given supervision and unpaid work.

Colin Dunnachie had admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at his Wallace Crescent home on January 4 this year by shouting and swearing in an aggressive manner and struggling violently with police officers. The 40-year-old also pleaded guilty to assaulting an officer by spitting on him.

Lindsey Brooks told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that police had been called out at 8.30pm following a report from a member of the public about a disturbance at Dunnachie’s Wallace Crescent home.

When officers attended at 8.50pm they were allowed inside by a family member. At that time no disturbance was ongoing.

The officers spoke to Dunnachie who, said Ms Brooks, was under the influence of alcohol and“uncooperative.”

Dunnachie shouted at the officers‘scum’ and‘w ****** .’He also made threats, saying:‘I’ll bite your f ****** nose off.’

Dunnachie struggled with the officers and kicked out violently.

While he was being taken from the address and into a police vehicle he spat at one of the officers. In reply to a caution and charge he said to an officer:‘You are a p***k.’

His agent Lisa McGuigan told Sheriff Pino

Di Emidio that Dunnachie’s recollection of events that night were“blurred because of his alcohol consumption.”

A report prepared for the court suggested that alcohol was an issue for her client which he accepted.

Dunnachie had been“engaging with addiction support and counselling services” and wished“to re-engage with them to make positive changes in relation to alcohol consumption.”

Ms McGuigan said her client was suitable for supervision. He was subject to unpaid work for his last conviction in 2016 which he had completed without any difficulties, the solicitor added.

However, Dunnachie was now studying at university which meant he was unsuitable for a Restriction of Liberty Order (RLO).

Ms McGuigan added:“He spends quite a lot of time in the library in the evenings doing work.”

Dunnachie however“would comply with supervision and any hours of unpaid work [the sheriff ] felt appropriate.”

Sheriff Di Emidio sentenced Dunnachie to a community payback order as an alternative to imprisonment comprising a year’s supervision and 120 hours’unpaid work.

A review hearing was set for April 29 and Dunnachie was ordered to appear on that date.