Court orders man to pay costs after homophobic insults

A man who hurled homophobic insults at a police officer after hiding behind a rock has been ordered to pay her £350 compensation.

Lee Johnstone, 42, from 25 Arthur View Terrace, Danderhall, Dalkeith, appeared before Oban Sheriff Court last week and admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive way and uttering abusive and homophobic remarks.

The court heard how Johnstone had been staying at a hotel in town with his partner and another couple on September 28 this year when a disagreement broke out between him and the other man.

Police were called to the hotel to look for him and to arrest him on a matter no longer concerning the court and found him hiding behind a large rock on the beach below Corran Esplanade.

He became abusive and hostile, especially targeting the woman police officer, calling her names in a full litany of insults, the court was told.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes heard how Johnstone had denied causing any damage at the hotel and felt aggrieved he had come under suspicion for it. He has since paid for £500 of damages.

He had also showed his solicitor scars on his wrists from an accident at work that he said had caused him great pain when he was handcuffed by police.

He said the pain was so bad it might have given the officers the impression he was trying to resist arrest but the pain on the scars was excruciating.

The court was told his behaviour during the incident was ‘out of sorts’ and that he had been drinking. When he sobered up, he was apologetic but had absolutely no recollection of what he had done.