Drunk thug brandished broken bottle at police

A SHERIFF praised the “professionalism and expertise” of police officers who brought a joiner’s violent rampage to an end.

Mark Smith punched and kicked a doorman on the head and body before punching his way through a car window to attack a stranger.

He tried to drag Michael McKenzie out of his car before confronting two police officers by brandishing a broken beer bottle and threatening to slash them.

Sheriff Robert More jailed Smith for 18 months and said it was thanks to the officers the accused’s drink-fuelled rampage had not had catastrophic consequences.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, he said: “Crimes like this properly attract sentences of imprisonment and there is realistically no alternative in the circumstances.

“The real high point of this course of conduct was the assault on Mr McKenzie which must have been entirely terrifying and bewildering as far as he was concerned.

“Assaults on police officers require to be marked too.

“The way the police dealt with this situation – which had already got out of hand, but could have been catastrophic – was indicative of superb professionalism and expertise.”

Smith, 32, from Forfar, admitted assaulting Ronald Laidlaw by punching and kicking him repeatedly in the face and body at Bar Ten in Forfar on September 11 2021.

He admitted attacking Michael McKenzie by punching and smashing his car windscreen and showering him in glass, grabbing him and trying to punch him in the face. Smith also admitted assaulting two police officers by brandishing a broken bottle at them and threatening to stab them in the neck.

Fiscal depute Marie Lyons said Mr Laidlaw was taken by surprise as Smith started punching and kicking him without warning.

Smith then shouted ‘do you know who I am?’ at Mr McKenzie, who was sitting in his car nearby, before smashing his windscreen by punching and kicking it.

He grabbed and ripped Mr McKenzie’s t-shirt, before his victim was eventually able to flee.

Officers arrived and found Smith hiding behind some bins.

He was immediately hostile.

“He raised the bottle above his head and continued to shout and swear,” Mrs Lyons said.

“He lunged at one officer while making threats.”

The prosecutor said officers had to discharge PAVA spray to overpower Smith.

Solicitor Jim Caird, defending, said: “He is extremely contrite. He was extremely drunk.”

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