Drunk who fought with police is sentenced

Six police officers responded to reports of an ongoing disturbance in the back garden of a house just off Perth’s Crieff Road.

They discovered 33-year-old Graham Brown shouting and swearing and brandishing a table with both hands.

“He appeared to be under the influence of some unknown substance and was instructed to drop the table as it looked as if he was planning to throw it at police,”depute fiscal Bill Kermode told Perth Sheriff Court.

As they attempted to restrain him, he pushed one of them on the body, causing him to hit his head off a nearby wall.

The accused, of Wallace Gait, Perth, was eventually taken to the ground and handcuffs were applied despite him lashing out with his arms.

But his rowdy behaviour continued as he was taken to Perth Police HQ and a spit hood had to be put on his head.

When he was searched, a small quantity of cocaine was found in his possession but it had minimal value.

The violent disturbance led to him having a community payback order imposed as an alternative to a jail sentence.

He will have to complete 180 hours of unpaid work within the next nine months after Sheriff William Wood told him:“This sort of conduct is not to be tolerated.”

He admitted repeatedly shouting and swearing, struggling with police and assaulting PC Jeffrey McSporran at Viewfield Place on September 7 last year.

Solicitor Paul Ralph explained there was a football match on that day and that’s why there were so many officers in the area.

Brown had been drinking and couldn’t remember what had taken place.