A MAN who spat at police in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic has been jailed.

Caleb Pentland previously pleaded guilty to causing a disturbance at Dalmuir rail station last year.

The 22-year-old admitted assaulting two officers by spitting at them, and to shouting, swearing and uttering threats while at Clydebank police office.

Around 6.25pm on May 4, 2020, police were called to the rail station and spoke to staff and paramedics who said Pentland had taken a suspected overdose and was refusing treatment.

Pentland became abusive to paramedics trying to treat him and became increasingly more aggressive.

He was arrested about 15 minutes later but began to thrash from side to side and officers had to take him to the ground.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on July 30 that while on the ground, Pentland spat in the direction of two police officers.

Cops put him in the rear of a police vehicle and he was taken to Clydebank police office.

As he was being led into the custody suite, he began to thrash around again, shouting and threatening officers.

Again, he was taken to the ground and leg restraints applied. He continued to shout, swear and make threats.

Sheriff Frances McCartney said she was surprised the case had been dealt with as a summary offence, not at a more serious solemn level.

She said: “Spitting not just in the middle of the pandemic but at the beginning of the pandemic, at a time when there was a stay-at-home order, out in a railway station and on two separate occasions spits at officers.”

Pentland’s defence solicitor said his client was granted bail on May 5 last year and had been on curfew restrictions for 14 months without incident.

He said Pentland, of Kingsbridge Drive, Glasgow, could offer “no reasonable explanation” and was in a “kind of stupefied state”.

The lawyer said: “He had taken a lot of alcohol but he doesn’t recall taking anything other than alcohol.

“He apologises to police and paramedics. He has a bad record but generally is cooperative with police when arrested.

“He presents as a softly spoken young man when not under the influence.”

She jailed Pentland for 189 days.