A Moray man has been jailed after spitting at police and threatening to attack them with a “red hot poker”.
John Harrold, of Fochabers, shouted, swore and told one officer to go back to their own country during the incident on the village’s High Street.
Police were alerted to the 56-year-old causing a disturbance after being asked to leave a pub.
But when two constables approached him he immediately became aggressive and started swearing at them.
Yesterday at Elgin Sheriff Court fiscal Alex Swain described Harrold putting his face close to Constable Deborah Price while shouting at her on March 12.
While being taken into a police van the 56-year-old spat in the officer’s face before being restrained on the ground.
Miss Swain said: “He attempted to spit at Constable Price a second time. He continued to be abusive.
“He then shouted ‘I’m going to stick a red hot spade in your face’ to Constable Roy Cook. He then told him to ‘get out of my country.'”
Miss Swain added that Constable Cook was English and that Harrold had also threatened to attack Constable Price with a “red hot poker”.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty said: “Mr Harrold has certainly taken umbrage at the attention from the police and would like to apologise to them unreservedly.”
Harrold, of Milne Road in Fochabers, was sentenced to 133 days in prison after he admitted acting aggressively and in a racially aggravated manner towards Constable Cook and assaulting Constable Price by spitting at her.
