by Craig Borland

A CLYDEBANK man has been jailed for head-butting a police officer who was driving him to a police station.

A court heard that during the journey James Reid had told the officer driving the car to stop and go to a nearby field for a “square go”.

Reid, 37, carried out the attack while being taken to Greenock police office after his arrest over an incident in Langfaulds Crescent on May 22. His position was worsened by a breach of a community payback order (CPO) for a separate offence.

Prosecutor Alasdair Shaw told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: “Police attended the accused’s home address in relation to another matter. He was cautioned and handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle.

“While en route.. to Greenock police office he started to become volatile and began to struggle, shouting and swearing and asking officers to remove his handcuffs. He was told his handcuffs would remain due to his volatile behaviour. He repeatedly asked for them to be removed, then asked them to stop and go to a nearby field for a square go.

“While approaching the Erskine Bridge at 50 miles an hour, [he] told the driver ‘I’ll ‘f****** head-butt you if you don’t take these handcuffs off’. [He] then head-butted the officer, catching him on the left arm.”

Reid could not be formally charged at the police station because he was too drunk.

Reid, now living in Dumbarton Road, had admitted at a previous hearing to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, struggling with police, uttering threatening remarks and challenging police officers to fight. He also admitted assaulting a police officer. by striking him on the body with his head.

Gail Campbell, defending, said Reid’s breach of the CPO meant that “the options before the court are considerably restricted”.

She said: “He has effectively managed to stay out of trouble... by himself for a considerable period. Given the opportunity to work, he does so, although he is not presently in work. His breach of his CPO does him no credit. There is an alcohol problem, and has been for a long time. When he’s drinking, matters do seem to fall apart.”

She said Reid had turned back to drink after the failure of a relationship, and added: “He also managed to maintain, through unfortunate domestic circumstances. But that relationship has ended, and his way of dealing with that was unfortunate – he turned back to drink, which has always been a habit.“When he is sober he has a very clear understanding of his problems.

“He is willing to work with the criminal justice social work team. It would probably be his final opportunity to deal with his problems in a constructive way.”

But Sheriff Gallacher decided there was no alternative to a prison sentence, telling Reid: “.He told Reid: “Ms Campbell asks me to consider that another opportunity may be given to you. “I don’t agree. The new matter is unacceptable, monumentally dangerous, and very, very serious.”

Reid’s CPO was revoked and a sentence of four months imposed; for the May incident, he was jailed for concurrent terms of six months on each charge.