A man who spat in the face of a female police officer had likely been the victim of an assault and robbery himself, a court has heard.
Emergency services were called to Upper Kessock Street in Inverness after Sohaib Ullah was spotted “wandering” with a bleeding head wound.
But Ullah became “irate” as he was treated in an ambulance and threatened officers, before spitting in the face of a female constable.
Ullah appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and assaulting the officer.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court that it was just before 4am on February 13 this year when police received reports of a “male wandering with blood on his top and a cut to his head”.
Officers traced Ullah and requested an ambulance, but whilst being treated Ullah became abusive towards police officers and then began making threats.
Injured man spat in officer’s face
The 32-year-old was arrested for threatening or abusive behaviour but became “irate” as officers began to remove him from the ambulance.
It was at that point he spat at a female police officer, with his saliva landing on her cheek and glasses.
Ullah’s wound was treated and he was taken to Burnett Road Police Station.
Solicitor Marc Dickson, for Ullah, said his client had no recollection of the incident.
“When he woke up in police custody he was appalled to learn what had taken place,” Mr Dickson said.
The defence agent told the court that Ullah had been drinking with friends prior to the incident and it was believed that he “had been the victim of some variety of attempted robbery”.
Ullah, said Mr Dickson, was missing “personal items, jewellery and a wallet” and had suffered a head injury “the belief being he has been struck with a bottle from behind”.
‘An unsavoury piece of conduct’
“The criminal justice social work report suggests there is some reference to him possibly behaving this way on some kind of delayed ‘fight or flight’ in the rear of the ambulance,” Mr Dickson added.
Ullah apologised to police the day after the incident, the solicitor explained, adding: “He wants to take what is a very public opportunity to say once again to the officers concerned that he just wishes to apologise for the way he behaved.”
“What is before the court is an unsavoury piece of conduct,” conceded Mr Dickson, who added that alcohol had become “problematic” for his client leading up to the incident.
He explained that Ullah, of Logan Way, Muir of Ord, had now abstained for eight months and “intends to maintain that sobriety”.
Placing Ullah on a structured deferred sentence for three months, Sheriff Gordon Lamont said: “I’m content to deal with the matter at this stage on the basis the that you have been the subject of an assault and you appear to have addressed the issues that caused you to have that offending behaviour.”
The case will call again in January.