A man said he would kill a police dog, then made the same threat to officers and their families.
Michael Bradshaw, 30, told officers he would target them when they were off duty and would find out where they lived.
“I’m going to kill you, I’ll get you in front of your family,” he told them.
Bradshaw appeared via videolink from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and assault.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair said the incident began at around 10.20pm on June 29 this year when officers were taking Bradshaw from an address in Dochfour Drive, Inverness, to Burnett Road police station.
She said Bradshaw was “highly agitated, aggressive and verbally abusive towards officers”.
He threatened to smash the window of a police vehicle and, when told the police dog was inside, he said he would kill the dog.
When more officers arrived Bradshaw “took a clear dislike” to one of them, threatening to headbutt him before making it clear he know who his family were and saying he was going to find out where he lived.
‘I’ll get you in front of your family’
“He was heard to make multiple comments that he would kill officers and their families,” said Mrs Gair.
“He was going to make efforts to find out their home address, find them when they were off duty and assault them saying ‘You have family – I’ll get you and them’.”
When he arrived at the Burnett Road custody suite the behaviour continued with Bradshaw making derogatory comments and further threats telling officers: “I’m going to kill you. I’ll get you in front of your family” and “I’ll find where you live”.
He was placed in a cell under constant observation but had to be placed in a spit hood after he spat at the officer checking on him.
Solicitor Willie Young told the court Bradshaw was scheduled to appear for sentencing on other matters later this week and Sheriff Sara Matheson deferred sentence until then.