A man caught on CCTV vandalising a train station door headbutted a police officer who had been called in to stop him.
Inverness city CCTV operators spotted Richard Shields kicking and headbutting the glass door at Inverness railway station and contacted Police Scotland.
But when a policeman arrived on the scene, Shields turned his aggression towards the man, headbutting him “forcibly” before attempting to walk away.
Vandalism caught on CCTV
Shields appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of vandalism and assaulting a police officer on December 23 of last year.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court that it was around 3.10am when CCTV operators spotted Shields’ behaviour.
She said: “Operators observed the accused causing damage to the railway station main glass door by kicking it and headbutting it.”
The information was passed to control and officers attended at the scene, where they observed Shields to be intoxicated.
But as officers attempted to talk to him, Shields headbutted one and tried to make off.
“He forcibly struck the police witness to his head using his head and attempted to walk away,” Ms Gray told the court.
‘He was very drunk at the time’
She added that the assault left the officer with “reddening to his forehead” but this did not require any medical treatment.
Solicitor Duncan Henderson, for Shields, told the court his 20-year-old client has no previous convictions.
He said: “I suspect the time of year may have had something to do with this. He was very drunk at that time, but that is not an excuse for his behaviour.”
Mr Henderson added that Shields had asked the court to accept his apology.
Sheriff Sara Matheson placed Shields, of Carnac Crescent, Inverness, on a community payback order requiring him to complete 66 hours of unpaid work in the community within 12 months.
