A man has been jailed after a struggle with police and security officers on Inverness’ High Street.
Scott Mackay was restrained following a disturbance involving another individual on the city centre thoroughfare.
He spat in the face of one of the security staff and made repeated attempts to bite and headbutt.
Mackay, 26, admitted charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, assault and resisting or obstructing officers during the incident last month.
Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told Inverness Sheriff Court it was around 2.45pm on April 17 that police were informed of a disturbance on the High Street, involving Mackay running around and shouting.
The incident was also shared over Shop Safe radio, and security officers from the city’s BID team attended the area.
As they arrived they saw Mackay “fighting with another man and causing a disturbance”.
The court was shown CCTV of the pair attempting to stop Mackay in the street – but he quickly became violent, trying to strike them with his head and aiming punches at the workers.
Spitting, biting and headbutting
He attempted to bite the witness and then spat at him, making contact with his eye, Ms Eastwood told Sheriff Neil Wilson.
Mackay was taken to the ground and restrained by the security staff and police officers who had arrived on the scene.
Mackay made repeated attempts to bite as well as threats to headbutt, at one point striking his own head against the pavement.
Once detained, he stated to police officers that he would “bite their noses off” and claimed to one officer he had slept with his mother “12 times on Sunday”.
Solicitor Patrick O’Dea, for Mackay, told the court that the disturbance that preceded the incident had resulted in “blows struck, including to the head”.
He said when Mackay, who was “heavily intoxicated”, was approached by the security staff he had been “finding it difficult to focus his eyes” and was therefore unaware of who they were.
He said: “It began with two gentlemen coming up behind him and grabbing hold of him – at that stage Mr Mackay was walking away from the incident involving the other party.
“Had that not happened, he might not have reacted the way he did”
‘He does regret it’
Mr O’Dea told the sheriff: “He does accept that his behaviour was inappropriate – he does regret it.”
Mackay was also sentenced for a previous incident where he assaulted city centre security staff and acted in a threatening manner after being caught shoplifting.
A drug treatment and testing order had previously been imposed by Mackay had failed to engage the court was told.
“He now finds himself before the court with an unenviable record and fresh offending,” Mr O’Dea conceded.
He said: “He wishes to sincerely apologise to the court and to the people involved – to the police officers and the two security operatives.”
Sheriff Wilson told Mackay, who appeared via videolink from custody: “I see no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence,” adding: “Spitting in somebody’s face – that has to attract a severe punishment.”
He jailed Mackay for 11 months, backdated to April 25 this year.