A Lochgelly man injured a police officer with a sausage and haggis breakfast pack, a court has heard.
On another occasion David St John, 46, threatened to burn down a local dental practice after missing an appointment for toothache.
At other times he threatened a shop worker, spat in a police vehicle and refused to provide breath samples under suspicion of drink-driving.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard St John’s offending was mainly linked to alcohol abuse.
He appeared in the dock for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to various offences.
Breakfast pack attack
Prosecutor Laura McManus told the court at around lunchtime on December 23 last year St John was being driven home by police and asked to get out to walk home.
The fiscal depute said: “Officers stopped the vehicle and Mr St John exited and he became aggressive.
“Mr St John hit (a male PC) to the left side of his face with a packet of breakfast sausages, haggis etc and the contents spilled across the road”.
Ms McManus said he was arrested and during the journey to the police station, spat in the vehicle and kicked a cage inside it.
He later spat on the floor in the custody area.
St John, of Cartmore Road, pled guilty to assaulting the PC by throwing a packet of meat at him, causing it to strike his face to his injury and resisting, obstructing or hindering two constables.
Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said in the lead up to the assault, St John had a fallout with his brother at his mother’s house and police were called to remove one of the siblings.
The solicitor said: “Not only was he not being arrested, he was being given a lift home.
“He was under the influence of alcohol, asked to get out and walk, and for reasons not clear, reacted in this way.
“His mother had given him some food to take to the property and he threw the packet of food into the face of the officer, causing a minor injury, then shouted and swore”.
Mr Morrison also stressed his client did not spit on anyone.
Dental practice threat
St John also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on December 12 2022 at Canmore Dental Practice, Lochgelly, by shouting, swearing, and threatening to burn it down.
Ms McManus told the court staff saw St John come into the practice, cause a disturbance in the waiting area and state words similar to “do you know who I am around here – I could burn this place to the ground”.
The fiscal depute said it appeared he was seeking treatment but was refused.
Defence lawyer Mr Morrison said St John, though not excusing his behaviour, did have toothache and had missed one appointment and spent the weekend self-medicating, and was late for the next appointment.
Further disturbances
St John also pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on March 10 2022 at a Co-op in Bank Street, Lochgelly, by repeatedly shouting, swearing, and making offensive remarks and threats of violence.
Ms McManus said at around 9.55pm an employee there was told to refuse the sale of alcohol to St John.
St John started to shout the employee was “fat” and “specky” and told him he would “rip” his glasses off.
When asked to leave, St John said he would “leather them”.
In a separate incident on May 17 last year at Dunfermline police station, St John behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly shouting, swearing and making threats of violence.
He also admitted that on January 26 last year at Dunfermline police station he failed without reasonable excuse to provide two breath samples for analysis.
Sentencing
Mr Morrison said St John is “polite and respectful” in sobriety and a particular issue is alcohol misuse and binge drinking linked to depression and low mood.
The solicitor said St John has in the past demonstrated an ability to be law-abiding and has found structure when in full-time employment, working as an engineer.
Sheriff Susan Duff sentenced St John to 240 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for a year.
He is also subject to offender supervision for a year and a conduct requirement to engage in alcohol treatment.
The sheriff added: “It seems to me all of your offending is related to not controlling your temper, but particularly when drinking”.
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