A trial witness had to be removed from a train at Perth because of his drunken abusive behaviour while travelling to the court case.
Neil Malcolm, 54, was travelling from his home in Glasgow to the trial in Aberdeen when he began shouting, swearing and upsetting other passengers.
When confronted by the train conductor Malcolm stated he had Tourette’s syndrome and began shouting about the court case he was to attend.
Malcolm, Breadalbane Gardens, was seen to be drinking from a two litre bottle of cider and continued to act in an agitated manner. When he went to the toilet fellow passengers complained about his behaviour and asked that he be removed from the train.
The court heard he was alcohol dependent and had previously been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.
Malcolm’s solicitor told the court that when officers came to his client’s home to tell him to attend the trial, set for the following day, he was already under the influence of alcohol.
He said: “Officers paid for his ticket and put him on a train to Aberdeen. He has a great difficulty dealing with other people in a manner that is the norm.”
Malcolm admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on December 3 2015 whilst on board a train between Glasgow train station, Queen Street, and Perth train station, Leonard Street.
He pled guilty to shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner, refusing to remove himself from the train and uttering threats to self-harm.
Sheriff William Wood sentenced Malcolm to undergo a community payback order that included being under supervision for 15 months.