A Scottish Premiership player has been charged with a city centre breach of the peace aggravated by sexual orientation prejudice.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender Josh Meekings, 23, did not appear personally at Inverness Sheriff Court on Thursday, but was represented by solicitor Rory Gowans.
Mr Gowans asked that the case be continued without plea for instructions from his client and sought a four week deferral.
This was granted by Sheriff David Sutherland and the case will next call on April 14. Meekings was charged by police after the alleged offence which took place hours following ICT’s draw 2-2 with Dundee United,
Meekings is charged that on December 20, 2015 – at Bridge Street, Inverness, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to case a reasonable person fear and alarm in that he did shout, swear, challenge people to fight, utter offensive remarks, and behave in an aggressive manner towards police officers, an offence aggravated by sexual orientation prejudice.
Englishman Meekings was a former under 18 captain for Ipswich Town but never played for the first team. He was due to sign for Stevenage but chose the Highland Capital side in 2011 instead because of the then manager Terry Butcher.