A drunk army veteran lashed out at police officers who found him lying on the grass and told them he “could fight them”.
Sean Paterson told police they couldn’t arrest him because he is a “Highlander infantryman”.
The 40-year-old launched into a foul-mouthed rant before he was taken away in handcuffs.
Concerned neighbours had called the police for help after discovering Paterson on the grass at Lossie Cottages in Elgin at 9.30pm on June 9 2021.
But he then turned on officers who had simply tried to help him back inside his home.
Paterson was repeatedly told to stop shouting and swearing but continued anyway and he later spent a night in custody.
Officers initially tried to help
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told Elgin Sheriff Court: “Police officers helped him to his feet and started taking him towards the door of the property in an effort to assist him inside.
“He continued to shout and swear and refused to listen. He pushed towards one of the officers insisting he was going to fight with him.”
As Paterson’s fighting talk worsened officers put him in handcuffs.
“He told him he couldn’t be arrested because he is a Highlander infantryman. He demanded he be released from his handcuffs so he could fight them,” Ms Poke added.
Paterson appeared in court via videolink from HMP Inverness where he is currently a prisoner.
He pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
‘He does not deal with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in a sensible fashion’
Defence agent Matthew O’Neill said his client had consumed a “significant quantity of alcohol” and his “recollection of the time spent outside is limited”.
“He apologises for that,” Mr O’Neill added. “He has had a number of background problems through most of his adult life.
“He knows that consuming alcohol is only likely to increase those problems rather than help them.
“He does not deal with his depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in a sensible fashion.
“He did previously work and spent four years in the army trying to better himself. Unfortunately, his difficulties got the better of him on the day in question,” the solicitor explained.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood fined Paterson, of Lossie Cottages in Elgin, £400.
But the HMP Inverness prisoner was granted no time to pay and instead handed an alternative of 14 days in prison, to run concurrently with his existing time in jail.
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