A DRUNKEN thug who lashed out at a police officer when he was told to get off a late-night train at Dalmuir railway station has been jailed.

David Aitchison tried to attack a police officer who was called after he refused to leave the train on June 14.

Aitchison, 33, of Neilsland Road in Hamilton, appeared for sentencing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to a charge of assaulting a police officer at the station by attempting to head-butt him.

Aitchison – who was on bail when the incident happened, and was also the subject of an anti-social behaviour order – was brought to the dock in handcuffs after being handed a six-month custodial sentence for a separate case at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month.

His solicitor, Gerard Devaney, told Sheriff William Gallacher that Aitchison had been jailed on September 20 for an incident the previous day which was broadly similar to the one at Dalmuir station.

Mr Devaney said: “The incident happened at about 11.51pm. He was intoxicated and fell asleep, drunk, while on the train, and refused to leave.

“The Hamilton case was similar – he was intoxicated in a public house and refused to leave. He is not due to be released until December 19.”

Mr Devaney also said Aitchison’s situation was further complicated by his having been handed a community payback order for another offence, this time at Lanark Sheriff Court, in July.

“He seems to have a particular problem with alcohol,” Mr Devaney continued.

“He accepts that the period of detoxification he has gone through while on remand has been beneficial to him.”

Mr Devaney said Aitchison would lose his tenancy in Hamilton, and the access he had to various support services, if a further jail term were imposed for the Dalmuir offence.

But Sheriff William Gallacher told Aitchison: “You committed an offence in breach of an ASBO, in breach of bail, and made a gratuitous attempt to attack someone who was simply doing their job.

“I consider that I cannot impose anything other than a custodial sentence.”

Aitchison was handed a four-month jail term for the attack, to kick in when the sentence imposed in Hamilton expires.