Disturbed during the early hours , Galashiels residents looked out to see a drunken man kicking wheelie bins and shouting: “You’re a paedo. Come out and I’ll kill you.”
Police found Stephen Milliken standing in the middle of the road shouting and swearing. The 31-year-old refused to calm down and was arrested when he kicked the front bumper of the police car.
“He had a cut below his eye, as he’d fallen down some stairs earlier, so was taken to Borders General Hospital for assessment,” explained depute procurator fiscal Tessa Bradley at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday.
Milliken arrived at the hospital’s accident and emergency department at 1.40am, where his shouting and swearing continued. A hospital security officer asked him to stop, but Milliken retorted: “Who do you think you are, you f*****g prick.” Milliken then spat, although failed to hit the man.
He was considered fit to be taken into police custody and throughout the journey to Hawick police station, Milliken banged his head on the cage of the police vehicle, and continued to shout and swear.
“A spit hood had to be put on him as he was spitting on the floor,” added Ms Bradley.
Four officers were needed to take him to the cells, and he tried to headbutt one.
The accused, of Beech Avenue in Galashiels, admitted behaving in an abusive manner at Glendinning Terrace and at the accident and emergency department on March 10. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting a hospital employee and attempting to spit at him, and struggling violently with police and attempting to headbutt an officer at the police station.
Milliken’s lawyer, Rory Bannerman, said his client was deeply ashamed and embarrassed by his behaviour.
Mr Bannerman added: “He had drunk to excess and has little recollection of what he did. The weekend coincided with his birthday and he had drunk too much. He hadn’t been drinking in recent times, and this was the first time in nine months he had drunk to excess.
“Through his drunken haze, he thought that he was the victim, as he says he was assaulted earlier on.”
Sheriff Eric Brown jailed Milliken for three months.