A man dubbed a “domestic abuse demon” has been jailed for a racist rant against an eastern European police officer.
Kevin McLaren tried to defend his bigoted attack to a sheriff, claiming: “I’ve been brutalised by a Polish policeman.”
The 39-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted making racist remarks to PC Grzegorz Nowaczyk and assaulting fellow officer Christopher McInnes following a bizarre neighbourly dispute at his home at the city’s Grampian Court.
McLaren flagged down police to complain he and his dog had somehow ended up covered in excrement.
Earlier this year, McLaren was locked up for a campaign of violence against two former partners – and their pets – that spanned nearly two decades.
The court heard that the the former groundskeeper, who claimed to have an abusive persona called Bob, hurled his pregnant girlfriend’s cat against a wall and shoved her face into a soiled litter tray.
Racial slurs
McLaren returned to the dock on Thursday and admitted attacking PC McInnes at his home in Grampian Court, Crieff Road, Perth, on February 7 last year.
He further pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, by shouting, swearing and making racist remarks.
Fiscal depute Andrew Harding told the court: “At around 1.10am, the accused was arrested in relation to a matter that is not before the court.
“He kicked officer McInnes on the body and uttered racist remarks to PC Nowaczyk.”
McLaren called the officer a “Polish mongo” and “Polish p***y” and told him: “Go back to your own country.”
Dog mess
Solicitor Paul Ralph said that the incident stemmed from a falling out with neighbours.
“Mr McLaren found his dog covered with dog excrement,” he told the court.
“He went to bring the dog to his house to get it cleaned up.
“But when he picked up the dog he, of course, got excrement on himself.”
Mr Ralph said: “He flagged down police to explain what had happened.
“They told him they were responding to a report of another kind and would take him into custody.
“That got him upset and he reacted in the way libelled.”
McLaren was restrained to the ground. “He accepts he was annoyed and upset,” said Mr Ralph.
“He thought that the police were not helping.”
Sheriff Euan Duthie told McLaren: “Police are entitled to carry out their duties without fear of being assaulted.”
As he was jailed for six months, McLaren said: “I’ve got something I want to say.
“I’ve been brutalised by a policeman who escalated the situation.”
The comment generated zero response from anyone in the courtroom.
Abusive demon
In May, a jury found McLaren guilty of eight assaults on two former partners dating back to 2005, as well as a charge of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour against one of the women.
Prosecutors described him as a “domestic abuse demon” who became possessed when he drank alcohol.
McLaren even named his abusive persona Bob, echoing the malevolent entity of the same name in the TV drama Twin Peaks.
Sheriff William Wood jailed him for four years, noting his victims were “left with long-lasting psychological scars from which they will never fully recover”.
