A DOLLAR man said he had been hallucinating and thought he was being pursed by "demons" when he punched a policeman.

Officers had been called by the sister of Kevin Sleith who was in the middle of the road after taking tablets he had bought on the internet.

Sleith, 37, of Moss Court, Dollar, appeared in the dock at Alloa Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on February 13 at High Street, Tillicoultry, he assaulted a police constable by punching him to the head to his injury.

Depute fiscal Susannah Hutchison said police had received a call from Sleith's sister saying she was concerned about him as he appeared to be hallucinating and was walking in the middle of a road.

When police found him on the road he was "extremely agitated" and was shouting: "They're trying to kill me."

One of the officers approached him trying to move him to safety and Sleith punched him on the eye.

The officer's eye was bruised and bloodshot and he was still having to apply eye drops to it months later.

Defence solicitor Pol Clementsmith said his client works offshore as a construction supervisor.

The incident occurred when he had broken up from his partner and was living with his sister.

He had purchased sleeping tablets on the internet, had taken some and has "little memory of these events" added the solicitor.

"He says he thought the police officers were demons," he went on.

Sheriff Neil Bowie told Sleith: "You brought this on yourself by taking tablets you had bought online. They could be anything.

"Three officers were called from other duties because of your behaviour. One of them was trying to get you to a place of safety and you assaulted him."

The sheriff imposed a community payback order with 150 hours of unpaid work.