The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Community work after he told sergeant ‘I’m going to do one of you’
became very aggressive, saying he had done nothing wrong.
“Again he refused to leave the premises and refused to give the officers his details. He started to shout and swear at them.
“At 1.45am he was arrested and even when handcuffed he continued to resist the police who had to place him on the ground.” Ms Eastwood added: “One officer was kicked on his cheekbone on the left side of his face and the other was kicked on the hand.
“He was taken to Fort William police station where he made threats to the officers saying he was going to set their house on fire and firebomb them.
“Later at 6.20am the custody sergeant got a call from Richardson’s cell say- ing he wanted to contact his girlfriend.
“He told the sergeant he was going to ‘do him and his baby’ and added ‘I’m going to do one of you’.”
Yesterday, Richardson’s defence lawyer, Gerry Sweeney, told Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald: “His behaviour was abhorrent but there is a decreasing rate in his offending. On this occasion he was the worse for alcohol, but he has a hearing problem which gives him a feeling of isolation.
“He is a hard-working, settled, family man. I appeal to you to give him a non-custodial sentence.”
Sheriff MacDonald, who had earlier called for a criminal justice social work report on Richardson, said: “The report contains favourable references.
“I will issue a community payback order which will see him under supervision for the next two-and-a-half years.
“He will also have to do 115 hours of unpaid work for the community.”
“He is a hardworking, settled, family man”