A Moray offshore worker who kicked a police officer in the face after drunkenly causing trouble on a train has been ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work.
Peter McPhail was travelling on the Inverness to Elgin train service at about 7pm on January 5 this year when he began shouting and swearing.
A group of fellow commuters became concerned about his behaviour that one of them, a woman, approached him and asked him to be quiet.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard the 47-year-old reacted badly to this, shouting and swearing at passengers and threatening the woman by saying “I’ll drag you home and give you a beating”.
McPhail left the train at Forres but, when on the platform, lowered his trousers and exposed his bum to the group who were at the window.
Depute Fiscal Alex Swain said police officers were already in attendance at the station to apprehend McPhail.
She said: “Police were contacted by the ticket collector and were at the station to meet him.
“The accused then proceeded to assault PC Booth by kicking him to the right side of his his face.
“This caused him to bite his tongue due to the impact although he did not require medical attention.”
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty told the court his client was “mortified” about his actions that day.
He said: “Mr McPhail accepts his conduct left a lot to be desired and would like to apologise to everyone involved.
“He had consumed too much alcohol so his memory of the incident is vague.”
McPhail, of Roysvale Place in Forres, pled guilty to acting in an aggressive and threatening manner and assaulting a police officer.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald put McPhail under supervision for a year and gave imposed unpaid work as an alternative to custody.
