Man denies striking horse

A man is to face trial, charged with punching a police horse.

At a preliminary hearing at Stirling Sheriff Court yesterday Gary Dornan, 33, maintained a plea of not guilty.

Bail was continued, and Dornan, from Stirling, was ordered to reappear for trial on May 8.

The full charge alleges that in Murray Place, Stirling, on February 15 Dornan did “conduct himself in a disorderly manner, act in an aggressive manner, shout and swear and punch a horse”, thereby committing a breach of the peace.

A second charge alleges that afterwards, in a police van travelling between the scene of the alleged horse-hitting and Falkirk police station, he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear and alarm, by acting aggressively, shouting, swearing, uttering threats of violence and homophobic remarks -- and urinating in the vehicle.