A former Fife soldier claimed he was a cannibal and threatened to eat a police officer’s child during an “outrageous” drunken outburst.
John Steele, of Inverkeithing, said he would take the officer’s daughter “to the Taliban”.
The 31-year-old made the alarming threats as he was being transported to Kirkcaldy police station.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard Steele made other vile remarks during the journey including threats to kill and mutilate police.
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said Steele was “genuinely remorseful” for his behaviour and stressed he’d been suffering from the death of his father.
He had “unresolved issues” with a police investigation into the tragic circumstances, said Mr Flett.
Intoxicated and agitated
Procurator fiscal depute Mat Piskorz told the court Steele was arrested following a disturbance at a property around 1:20am on February 11 last year.
Police found him at a property intoxicated and in an agitated state.
The fiscal depute said: “During the journey to Kirkcaldy police station, the accused made comments towards one of the police officers which were as follows: ‘Your children are going to die of cancer, you have got a daughter don’t you? I’m going to take her and give her to the Taliban’.”
Steele continued ranting at police, the court heard. He told them: “I’m going to pump you up the a***.
“I’m going to end up smashing you in the f***ing street. What’s your family name? I’m going to go and strangle them.”
He said to police: “Pull over so I can f***ing kill you. I bet you I will mutilate you. I’m a cannibal, I’m going to eat your kids.
“I’m going to rip your eyeballs out.
“I bet you I bite your throat out like a vampire. I bet you I have your throat in my mouth.”
Unresolved issues with father’s death
Steele, of Gorse Wynd, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by repeatedly making threats of violence towards police officers and their families.
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett told the court the background to the incident was that Steele’s father was found dead in a local burn, and that it was a matter his client hadn’t dealt with due to a “number of unresolved issues” with what he perceived to be an inadequate investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Mr Flett said the offence happening in the early hours of the morning, the day after Steele’s own birthday.
The solicitor said: “He had drunk alcohol and there were a lot of unresolved issues. It was a mixture of grief and grievance.
“He fully accepts his behaviour was outrageous. He has come across various officers he dealt with on the night and has tried to make apologies to them.
“His remorse does appear to be genuine.”
Mr Flett said his client had previously served two periods in the armed forces and had left after his father died.
Sheriff Susan Duff said: “I do accept you are genuinely sorry for your conduct and the underlying reasons you behaved in the manner you did that night.”
The sheriff fined Steele £225.
